posted Dec 26th, 2017 - The short winter break does not only allow the NSL News to add archived events and stories to the database and the public SKYLEAGUE.COM pages. It is also the right time to finish off the 2017 season with its final rankings in all Formation Skydiving categories.

The 2017 rankings are calculated according to all meet averages that made it into the database this year, and they are separated by outdoor and indoor competition results. There are scores of 162 AAA Class teams listed in 4-way outdoor competition, and 151 teams have posted indoor results. The NSL News is beginning the 2017 review with a closer look at the Top 20 teams in 4-way AAA outdoor and indoor competition.

There are a few top teams who focus only on indoor events, even though most of the team members are also jumping from air planes. The Weembi High Rollers are the best 4-way indoor team in the world behind NMP PCH HayaBusa, and the Belgians are the world leaders on both rankings.

There is a second indoor team that owns a Top 10 spot. IFS-Moscow attended three indoor meets this year and is right behind the second Russian Top 10 team, Black Cat. Russia's national team in 4-way Open is also competing at outdoor events and in 8-way with Russia's national team Tanay. Four of the Black Cat members (Valentin Ilin, Vasily Korotkov, Vladimir Pavlenko, Evgeny Stashchenko) will probably earn the title of the all-round multi-event competitors of the year.

Rank	Teams - Outdoor		Average
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	26.2
2	RealFly-Sion	FR	25.3
3	Arizona Airspeed	US	25.2
4	SDC Rhythm XP	US	24.5
5	Golden Knights Gold	US	22.3
6	Airspeed Odyssey	US	21.7
7	Black Cat	RU	21.3
8	Elixir	US	20.9
9	French Weembi Girls	FR	20.8
10	Mass Defiance	US	20.6
11	Echochamber	SE	20.0
12	Amnesya RW4 Team	IT	19.7
13	Satori XL	UK	19.6
14	Qatar Tigers	QA	19.5
15	GKBC	US	19.3
16	Airbus Illertissen	DE	19.2
17	4mula	UK	18.9
18	Espoir Saumur Weembi	FR	18.7
19	DeLand Norgies	NO	18.4
20	Evolution	CA	18.2
20	Bubble Trouble	RU	18.2
20	eX3MO	IT	18.2
See More

Rank	Teams - Indoor		Average
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	32.8
2	Weembi High Rollers	FR	32.3
3	French Weembi Girls	FR	29.5
4	Arizona Airspeed	US	29.2
5	RealFly-Sion	FR	29.1
6	Black Cat	RU	29.0
7	IFS-Moscow	RU	27.6
8	SDC Rhythm XP	US	27.3
9	Qatar Tigers	QA	27.1
10	Satori XL	UK	26.1
11	Gavroche	FR	26.0
12	Golden Knights Gold	US	25.9
13	Paraclete XP4	US	25.8
13	Ninja4	IT	25.8
15	Espoir Saumur Weembi	FR	25.7
16	Amnesya RW4 Team	IT	25.4
17	Echochamber	SE	25.2
18	Volition	UK	24.9
19	ISR FireFlash	BE	24.4
20	Bubble Trouble	RU	24.2
See More

They would possibly have to share it with the HayaBusa and ISR FireFlash members who did the same this year. However, FireFlash did not make the world's Top 10, as Black Cat did. The four Russians also plan to continue with the same agenda next year, while HayaBusa has given up the Fly-In Machine 44 plans for 2018.

Gavroche, Ninja 4 and Volition have posted only indoor scores, which makes it a total of five teams in the Top 20 who are exclusively focused on indoor events. The vast majority of 15 teams in the Top 20 indoor rankings are also jumping from air planes at the same time.

Three all-female lineups are in the indoor Top 20, and the French Weembi Girls are holding the very impressive 3rd place behind the indoor and outdoor world champions from Belgium and the Weembi High Rollers indoor experts. The French Weembi Girls are also training and competing outdoors, together with Russia's Bubble Trouble/Struggle, while Volition is an indoor team only.

The ultimate 4-way rankings are the combined indoor and outdoor scores. There was no doubt that NMP PCH HayaBusa would own the top spot. In fact, the Belgian indoor and outdoor world champions are far ahead of all other 4-way teams in the world who attend indoor and outdoor meets both.

RealFly-Sion and Arizona Airspeed are tied in 2nd place and more than two average points behind the Belgians. The combined indoor/outdoor rankings reflect a very interesting situation that is waiting for the audience next year.

Rank	Teams - Combined		Outdoor - Indoor	Average
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	26.2 - 32.8	29.5
2	RealFly-Sion	FR	25.3 - 29.1	27.2
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	25.2 - 29.2	27.2
4	SDC Rhythm XP	US	24.5 - 27.3	25.9
5	French Weembi Girls	FR	20.8 - 29.5	25.2
5	Black Cat	RU	21.3 - 29.0	25.2
7	Golden Knights Gold	US	22.3 - 25.9	24.1
8	Qatar Tigers	QA	19.5 - 27.1	23.3
9	Satori XL	SE	19.6 - 26.1	22.9
10	Echochamber	UK	20.0 - 25.2	22.6

HayaBusa coach Gary Smith mentioned in a recent interview that he sees France just as much as a challenger for 2018 gold medals as Airspeed. The numbers provide the evidence.

RealFly-Sion and Airspeed both have left no doubt that they are aiming at the top spot in Australia 2018, and an exciting race of both challengers to the HayaBusa level can be expected.

Two more U.S. teams are in the ultimate Top 10 rankings, and SDC Rhythm XP would compete for a set of FAI medals in Australia too - if Airspeed was not in the way.

The French Weembi Girls benefit from their indoor strength. They are tied in 5th place with Black Cat who are the stronger outdoor team.

Qatar Tigers and Satori XL are no surprises in the Top 10, while Echochamber from Sweden have worked their way up from the 2nd team in Sweden to the world's No. 10 in the ultimate 4-way rankings. It was a very close race with a few other teams for the last Top 10 spot, and the NSL News will follow up...