posted Feb 7th, 2013 - It is about time for the first judging videos of Arizona Airspeed's performance with the new lineup at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2013.

The videos are showing the Airspeed engine running very smoothly after very little training with the new lineup before the competition. Chris Farina looks as if he has been flying the Point slot forever, and the distance to the other US teams is the same as it has been in the past years.

It is obvious that the three reigning 4way world champions with the new Point have no serious competition in the USA where this year's USPA Nationals is the qualification event for the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2014. The NSL News tried to find a different way how to measure the first Airspeed results with the new lineup, and Airspeed themselves were the best help.

Airspeed attended the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship in 2011 and 2012. The scores of all three events can at least indicate how the current lineup began the new 2-year cycle last weekend. The videos are showing Airspeed at the 2012 event and last weekend.

Josh Hall did not wear a green helmet at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2012. Airspeed showed up with four different colors for the first time at the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2013 in DeLand. However, it is easy enough to find Josh Hall in the Point slot.

The 2012 video shows Airspeed after a year of training with the previous lineup. The pace was significantly faster than last weekend and also faster compared to Josh Hall's first year with Airspeed in 2011. The Airspeed scores of all three events provide a better idea of where the team is situated at the beginning of the 2013 season.

Paraclete XP Indoor 2013

Rd. 1

Rd. 2

Rd. 3

Rd. 4

Rd. 5

Rd. 6

Rd. 7

Rd. 8

Rd. 9

Rd. 10

Total

Avg

Rank

AAA Class

18,O,2

19,9,13

A,8,D,J

10,F,Q,22

M,C,4,B

3,L,20

17,12,5

11,1,E

N,16,14

21,K,H,6

Total

Avg

1

Arizona Airspeed (US)

23

26

31

25

33

23

25

23

23

29

261

26.1

Paraclete XP Indoor 2012

Rd. 1

Rd. 2

Rd. 3

Rd. 4

Rd. 5

Rd. 6

Rd. 7

Rd. 8

Rd. 9

Rd. 10

Total

Avg

Rank

AAA Class

C,20,13

B,18,O,8

K,A,16,Q

H,F,J,4

2,11,10

M,E,21,22

P,L,3,12

14,6,D

G,1,19

N,5,9

Total

Avg

1

Arizona Airspeed (US)

25

29

38

39

22

29

28

27

25

38

300

30.0

Paraclete XP Indoor 2011

Rd. 1

Rd. 2

Rd. 3

Rd. 4

Rd. 5

Rd. 6

Rd. 7

Rd. 8

Rd. 9

Rd. 10

Total

Avg

Rank

AAA Class

A,20,18

6,5,14

12,2,C

F,21,3

G,17,O,H

8,4,13

P,K,16,B

E,L,22,15

7,Q,9

1,19,J

Total

Avg

1

Arizona Airspeed (US)

24

25

23

27

39

20

38

27

40

25

288

28.8

Only Mark Kirkby came back for Airspeed after the silver medals in Menzelinsk 2010. He had three new members in his new lineup: Thomas Hughes, Niklas Hemlin and Josh Hall. This time, and two years later, Airspeed continues with three 4way world champions, and only Chris Farina is new. The scores are still on a significantly lower level, and the lack of training with the new lineup is the main reason.

The slot situation was also different in 2011. All four members of the new 2011 lineup began in their original slots, while Chris Farina had to switch from Center Inside to Point. Last not least, the competition draw was also slower last weekend compared to 2011, as two of the faster blocks (7, 15) were not in the ten rounds. The slower Blocks 10 and 11 were not drawn in 2011.

However, the Airspeed evaluation will continue this weekend at the Valentine's Meet on home turf. The world champions will once again have themselves as their main opponent, and only the scores of the past years will tell the first outdoor story this year.