posted May 4th, 2026 - The NSL News covered the FAI European Championship—embedded in the FAI Indoor World Cup 2026—in an update published on April 26th. The full field of 26 teams in 4-way Open was reduced to 12 teams on the European leaderboard, where only the top-ranked team from each participating nation is included, based on the World Cup results.

This same one-team-per-nation limitation can also be applied informally to all top teams from the 16 countries represented in the 4-way Open field. Using this filter effectively creates an early preview of the outdoor World Championship season, which typically begins soon after the conclusion of the FAI Indoor World Championships or World Cups.

Five of the 12 teams on the European leaderboard competed at outdoor events last year and are expected to return to exit aircraft again in 2026. Several of the remaining teams also have prior outdoor experience, and some lineups include current or former outdoor competitors. The NSL News has highlighted those teams most likely to attend outdoor events, although not all of them will necessarily represent their countries at the Outdoor World Championship in October. There is at least some uncertainty surrounding the British team Kairos, which finished only third at the British Outdoor Nationals 2025—traditionally the qualifying event for the following year’s World Championship under previous national selection rules.

FAI Indoor World Cup 2026			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	FAI European Indoor Championship 2026		J,20,C,4		10,O,L,M		B,21,N,H		14,F,3		18,16,9		E,6,8		19,1,Q		G,5,12		P,D,17,22		15,11,2		Total	Avg
1	Aethers	FR	33	-1	37		42		30	-1	31		32		33		35		36		27		336	33.6
2	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	31	-1	32	-3	42		29		30	-1	29		31		29		32	-1	22	-2	307	30.7
3	Skywalkers Most	CZ	28	-3	34	-1	33	-4	28	-1	27		27	-3	28	-2	28	-1	30	-4	24		287	28.7
4	Amnesya Fly X	IT	28	-1	31		34	-3	26		27		25	-3	27	-1	24	-3	28	-1	22		272	27.2
5	Out Of The Blue	NL	24	-2	28		32		18	-5	23		21	-3	22	-1	23		25	-1	19	-1	235	23.5
6	Kairos	UK	21	-2	26		28		21		21	-1	24		24		22		23		18		228	22.8
7	Magic 4	LT	20		26		27	-1	21		19		18	-2	23		21		22		16	-1	213	21.3
8	Flyspot Sky4Four	PL	22		26		28	-2	21		19	-2	19	-3	18	-3	22		21		16	-1	212	21.2
8	Bronteroc	HU	21		26		26	-3	21		20	-1	21	-1	20		17	-2	23		17		212	21.2
10	Windabona Angels	ES	20		26		27		19	-1	17	-2	21		21	-3	14	-5	19		17		201	20.1
11	AERA Flystation	DE	20		21		23		17		17		19		18	-1	18		21		16		190	19.0
12	Airows	CH	9	-2	15	-2	18		12	-2	7	-2	13		13	-1	7	-4	13	-1	11		118	11.8

Aethers, NMP PCH HayaBusa, Skywalkers Most, and Out Of The Blue are already confirmed as their respective national teams in the 4-way Open category. Italy’s Amnesya Fly X features several national team members, including NMP PCH HayaBusa world champion Michele Silvi (Tanay 2021), although the current lineup has not yet competed in an outdoor event.

The lineups from three Eastern European countries—Magic 4 (Lithuania), Flyspot Sky4Four (Poland), and Bronteroc (Hungary)—also include experienced outdoor competitors, even if they have not appeared at FAI/ISC events in recent years. Windobona Angels remain primarily an indoor team, while the military CISM team Papea typically represents Spain in international competition.

Germany’s new team Aera Flystation includes outdoor competitor Thomas Spielvogel, who is set to compete with Operation Adler at the outdoor World Championship. His 4-way teammate Karin Bauch was previously his opponent on the Airbus 8-way team, which won the FAI European Championship at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025. However, Germany will be represented in Eloy this year by the Airbus 4-way team, which secured qualification with last year’s victory. Meanwhile, Switzerland’s Aerows team features junior 4-way competitors who have yet to transition to outdoor competition.

FAI Indoor World Cup 2026			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	Nations in 4-way Open		J,20,C,4		10,O,L,M		B,21,N,H		14,F,3		18,16,9		E,6,8		19,1,Q		G,5,12		P,D,17,22		15,11,2		Total	Avg
1	Aethers	FR	33	-1	37		42		30	-1	31		32		33		35		36		27		336	33.6
2	Golden Knights	US	32		34	-1	38	-2	29		29		29		30	-1	30	-1	33		26		310	31.0
3	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	31	-1	32	-3	42		29		30	-1	29		31		29		32	-1	22	-2	307	30.7
4	Skywalkers Most	CZ	28	-3	34	-1	33	-4	28	-1	27		27	-3	28	-2	28	-1	30	-4	24		287	28.7
5	Amnesya Fly X	IT	28	-1	31		34	-3	26		27		25	-3	27	-1	24	-3	28	-1	22		272	27.2
6	Indonesia	ID	25	-3	28	-2	32	-3	24		23	-3	26	-1	24	-2	23	-3	27		16	-6	248	24.8
7	Gen XYZ	BR	26	-1	29	-1	25	-5	23	-1	21	-2	24		25		23	-2	26		19		241	24.1
8	Out Of The Blue	NL	24	-2	28		32		18	-5	23		21	-3	22	-1	23		25	-1	19	-1	235	23.5
9	Kairos	UK	21	-2	26		28		21		21	-1	24		24		22		23		18		228	22.8
10	Magic 4	LT	20		26		27	-1	21		19		18	-2	23		21		22		16	-1	213	21.3
11	Flyspot Sky4Four	PL	22		26		28	-2	21		19	-2	19	-3	18	-3	22		21		16	-1	212	21.2
11	Bronteroc	HU	21		26		26	-3	21		20	-1	21	-1	20		17	-2	23		17		212	21.2
13	Windabona Angels	ES	20		26		27		19	-1	17	-2	21		21	-3	14	-5	19		17		201	20.1
14	AERA Flystation	DE	20		21		23		17		17		19		18	-1	18		21		16		190	19.0
15	Thailand	TH	15	-5	24	-2	19	-6	18	-2	15	-3	18	-1	18	-3	10	-7	15	-2	14	-2	166	16.6
16	Airows	CH	9	-2	15	-2	18		12	-2	7	-2	13		13	-1	7	-4	13	-1	11		118	11.8

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Windabona Angels (ES) - Aera Flystation (DE) - Thailand (TH) at the FAI Indoor World Cup 2026

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Two more teams on the World Cup leaderboard are likely to join the outdoor field at the World Championship. The Golden Knights are the U.S. national team in 4-way Open and are targeting the gold medal in Eloy. Brazil’s Gen XYZ lineup was assembled only recently for this year’s indoor season; however, it includes highly experienced outdoor competitors. Brazil has been a consistent presence at outdoor World Championships, so the main question is which lineup will ultimately represent the country in October.

Both Indonesia and Thailand also have a history in 4-way Open at outdoor World Championships—Indonesia as recently as Tanay 2021, and Thailand last time at Dubai 2012.

In total, as many as seven teams from the Indoor World Cup leaderboard could make the trip to Skydive Arizona in October, with some uncertainty still surrounding the British and Brazilian national teams in 4-way Open. Italy and Germany will be represented by different national teams in this category, while the three Eastern European teams are also potential participants at the outdoor competition.