posted Aug 14th, 2026 - The previews of the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2026 continue with an evaluation of the unofficial 4-way amateur team competition, while medal contenders Golden Knights and NMP PCH HayaBusa face each other at the CISM World Championship 2026. HayaBusa coach Gary Smith said that the official training jump is scheduled for Saturday, with Round 1 potentially following on Sunday.

The British 4-way teams will compete for their 2026 national championship title at the end of the month, before the national Open Class team SOAR travels to the United States to represent Great Britain in October at Skydive Arizona.

British team Chimera—Sarah Ashworth, Laura Hampton, Will Cooke, James Woods, and camera flyer Pete Harries—won the unofficial amateur competition behind the FAI medal contenders at Eloy 2022, finishing in 5th place with an 18.8 average. It was the best finish by a British 4-way team at a world championship since Sebastian XL placed 4th in 1999, 2001, and 2003. Echochamber had previously won the unofficial amateur world championship title at Australia 2018, finishing in 5th place overall. The following outdoor world championship in Tanay 2021 did not attract a strong 4-way Open Class field, and Spain’s military Papea team finished in 5th place, seven points ahead of Kazakhstan after six rounds.

FAI Outdoor World Meet 2022			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Top 10		20,16,B		P,D,21,13		17,K,11		E,A,19,22		2,9,M		C,14,F,12		3,6,18		4,10,1		8,Q,O,H		5,7,J		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	21	-1	28		27		27		31		23		21		20		32		31		261	26.1
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	20	-1	25	-2	21		23		28		20	-2	19		17		29		26		228	22.8
3	Qatar Tigers	QA	19	-2	23	-1	22	-1	21	-1	26		18		17	-1	17		28		28		219	21.9
4	France 4-way Open	FR	19		23	-1	22		23		27		20	-1	18		15	-1	20	-5	27	-1	214	21.4
5	Chimera	UK	16		21	-2	19		19	-1	18	-5	18	-1	16		14	-1	23	-1	24		188	18.8
6	Papea Masculino	ES	17	-1	20	-1	18	-1	21		21	-2	18		15		15		21	-1	20	-3	186	18.6
7	Echochamber Oceanside	SE	14	-1	21		19		19		20	-1	17		16		15		24	-1	20	-1	185	18.5
8	Airbus Oceanside Illertissen	DE	16		18	-2	19		16	-1	20	-1	13	-3	15		14		19	-2	22	-1	172	17.2
9	Agera FS 2022	NO	16		16	-2	17	-1	17		18	-1	15		15		13	-1	18	-3	21		166	16.6
9	4Astrophe	CA	15	-1	20		19		15	-2	21		15		15	-2	14		16	-3	16	-2	166	16.6

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Chimera at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2022

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Echochamber Oceanside were in contention again at Eloy 2022, where Chimera had to fend off Sweden’s national team and Papea in an exciting three-point battle, finishing with 188 points ahead of Sweden’s 186 and Papea’s 185. Chimera did not continue after that outstanding achievement in 2022 and reunited only for two indoor reunion events.

Apex (Mark Fletcher, Chris Judd, Pete Mather, Dave Rogers, and Al Thompson on camera) won the British Outdoor Nationals 2023 and qualified for the next outdoor world championship at Crystal Coast 2024. They finished 8th there with a different lineup consisting of Mark Fletcher, Hari Ganapathy, Chris Judd, Dave Rogers, and Phil Hartree on camera. Echochamber became the new unofficial amateur world champions at the same event.

The British national 4-way Open Class team for 2024 traveled to North Carolina in October after finishing 2nd at the British Outdoor Nationals in August. A new 4-way team had taken 1st place, as the NSL News reported on 26 September 2024. The lineup was a joint venture between two former Chimera members, Sarah Ashworth and James Woods, and two former Satori XL members, Julia Swallow and Pete Allum, with Chimera’s Pete Harries on camera. Apex competed at only one more indoor event, the British Indoor Nationals 2024, where the original Chimera lineup also reunited for the occasion.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 2024			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Top 10		14,G,13		J,C,17,12		D,A,21,P		18,B,H,F		E,L,O,8		22,2,K		6,7,16		9,20,15		3,M,N,4		5,1,10		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	24		27	-1	33		36		31		23		26		26		25		22	-1	273	27.3
2	Aethers	FR	22		23	-4	33		32	-1	29		23		22		21		25		22		252	25.2
3	Qatar Tigers	QA	21		20	-3	26	-2	32		29	-1	20		21		20		19	-2	20		228	22.8
4	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	19		21	-2	25		25		25	-1	20		19		17		21	-1	20		212	21.2
5	Echochamber	SE	17		21	-1	24	-2	26		22	-1	16	-2	20		14	-2	19	-1	17		196	19.6
6	Airbus Illertissen Oceanside	DE	17		19		21	-1	26		23		16		19		15	-1	18	-2	16	-1	190	19.0
7	Agera	NO	14	-1	17	-2	18	-2	26		24		17		17		15		19		17		184	18.4
8	Apex	UK	15		18		21	-2	25		21	-2	13	-2	18		14	-1	15	-2	15		175	17.5
8	Out Of The Blue	NL	13	-1	17		22	-1	22	-1	22	-1	12	-1	19		14		18	-1	16	-1	175	17.5
10	Papea	ES	14	-1	15	-2	23		20	-1	23		14	-2	17		16		13	-1	15		170	17.0

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Apex at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2024

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SOAR were back at the national outdoor championship a year later to qualify for the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2026. The lineup, unchanged since 2023, also brings considerable outdoor world championship experience. Pete Allum was part of the Sebastian XL lineup that battled the DeLand Norgies for FAI bronze medals on the three occasions. Julia Swallow has won numerous British 4-way championship titles with Satori/XL and competed at the outdoor world championships in 2010, 2012, and 2016. She also won British national indoor and outdoor titles in the same year, as the NSL News reported on 17 November 2024.

Sarah Ashworth and James Woods bring their own experience after winning the unofficial amateur title at Eloy 2022. In the meantime, they have also continued to develop their individual and 4-way skills at a very high level with the indoor team Unruly.

Reigning unofficial amateur world champions Echochamber will most likely face very tough opposition from Great Britain in the battle for 5th place, although both teams are likely aiming even higher. The young Czech 4-way Open Class team Skywalkers Most, with no previous world championship experience, are currently expected to finish in 4th place. SOAR will demonstrate their current performance level at the end of the month, at the same time as their German opponents, Airbus 4-way Illertissen.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 2026			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open Power Rankings		TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
1	Aethers	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	Golden Knights	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	Skywalkers Most	CZ	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Echochamber	SE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	SOAR	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Airbus 4-way Illertissen	DE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Agera Oceanside	NO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Out Of The Blue	NL	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Amnesya	IT	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Papea	ES	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
12	Savolo	ZA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
12	Netunos	BR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
12	Flyspot Sky4Four	PL	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
15	Havoc	AU	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
16	Indonesia	ID	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-