posted Jun 3rd, 2016 - It has been quite a turbulent time period for Arizona Airspeed after the FAI World Meet in Prostejov 2014, and the Sun Path Products NSL News took once again a closer look at the changes of the lineups over the years.

It was at the time of Airspeed's 20-year anniversary when the last lineup update was posted, and Airspeed was the reigning 4-way world champion by then.

Thomas Hughes and Mark Kirkby had put together the next lineup after winning the gold medals at the FAI Mondial Dubai 2012, with Chris Farina and Thiago Gomes as their new team mates.

The previous lineup (2011 - 2012) had spent only two years together, which was shorter compared to the earlier teams who had won FAI gold medals for the U.S.A.

In fact, it was the first time in 2012 that any Airspeed lineup won gold medals within two years and then retired.

FAI World Meet 2008			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		B,17,7	H,N,13,A	10,J,C,6	18,12,2	E,3,9	19,O,4	D,M,5,16	14,20,21	Total	Avg
1	Airspeed Odyssey	US	30	32	24	16	29	21	28	15	195	24.4
2	Maubeuge	FR	28	30	23	17	27	23	28	18	194	24.3
3	HayaBusa Defence	BE	27	33	23	17	27	22	25	17	191	23.9

FAI World Meet 2010			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		10,7,12	3,11,5	J,M,Q,P,L	19,1,13	N,18,20	K,17,8	2,15,H	4,D,6	O,E,9,G	22,B,16	Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne Aerokart	FR	21	22	56	20	22	24	22	24	40	26	277	27.7
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	22	21	53	23	20	24	23	25	40	23	274	27.4
3	Sky Panthers	RU	19	21	56	21	19	21	23	22	41	21	264	26.4

The original Airspeed lineup (Jack Jefferies, Kirk Verner, Dan BC, Mark Kirkby) spent six years together and won two consecutive sets of gold medals in 1995 and 1997, then retired after silver in 1999.

John Eagle, Craig Girard, Neal Houston and Mark Kirkby won their first world meet gold medals after only two years, as well (2001), and then did not win the USPA Nationals in the next two years.

Eliana Rodriguez, Craig Girard, Andy Delk and Mark Kirkby again needed only two years to get to the very top of the world in 2008 and then also failed to defend the top position successfully.

Josh Hall, Thomas Hughes, Niklas Hemlin and Mark Kirkby did again in 2012 what the three previous Airspeed lineups had accomplished and won gold medals after only two years. Differently compared to the earlier lineups they did not continue after winning.

In fact, the rotation of the Airspeed lineups has increased in the last five years and since the last update.

FAI World Meet 2012			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		5,12,E	6,D,B,K	O,8,7	N,13,18	10,21,M	19,H,11	C,G,1,A	20,9,15	16,F,P,Q	2,J,4	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	27	34	27	22	23	23	32	25	40	26	279	27.9
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	25	34	27	21	23	24	32	27	40	25	278	27.8
3	Aerodyne Aerokart	FR	26	30	27	21	23	25	29	23	37	24	265	26.5

FAI World Meet 2014			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		E,3,C,5	F,6,D,21	19,H,2	M,4,1	O,14,A,P	8,J,16	7,11,12	22,20,15	17,G,18	13,B,9	Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	32	29	25	25	33	25	22	18	26	29	264	26.4
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	31	27	25	24	31	23	22	17	24	29	253	25.3
3	Evolution	CA	31	28	24	22	28	23	20	21	25	27	249	24.9

The new 2013 lineup (Thiago Gomes, Thomas Hughes, Chris Farina, Mark Kirkby) also completed only a 2-year period and could not copy the previous quick gold medal successes.

The next lineup after the 2nd place at the FAI World Meet in Prostejov 2014 (Thiago Gomes, Thomas Hughes, Chris Farina, Niklas Hemlin) lasted only for one year before Mikhail Markine replaced Chris Farina for the 2016 season. Even the new and current lineup will have only one year together, as Thomas Hughes will not continue after the FAI Mondial 2016. Airpeed will have gone through four different lineups in four years (2014 - 2017).

The increasing pace in Airspeed's lineup rotation has not affected the dominating position on home turf though. In fact, the completion of the last Airspeed decade (2007 - 2016) at this year's USPA Nationals will be the most successful time period in team history, with only USPA gold medals since 2007. However, the domestic competition might become tougher with SDC Rhythm XP consistently on Airspeed's heels, and there is also the question when Airspeed will eventually bring back to Eloy the William H. Ottley Sword for Formation Skydiving Competition - also known as the Excalibur...