posted Oct 22nd, 2026 - It is unusual for the top contenders at major FAI/ISC indoor and outdoor events to spend extra time with the media while the competition is still running. For the NSL News, recording an engaging conversation with the sport’s role models is even more challenging. NSL Live Talk typically requires more time to gather insider information and provide comprehensive explanations of the details and secrets of 4-way and 8-way competition than short clips featuring brief answers to quick questions.

Neither NMP PCH HayaBusa team captain Dennis Praet nor the NSL News could recall a competition at which any of the top teams had made themselves available for NSL Live Talk before the event had concluded. Although the full Belgian lineup did not attend the session, Dennis Praet visited Skydive Arizona on Friday afternoon almost exclusively for the interview.

All 4-way teams had already been released from competition for the entire day on Wednesday, while the 8-way teams completed just one round on Thursday. Paraclete XP8 extended their 8-way lead by five points in Round 8 after the Qatar Falcons finished tied with Germany’s Operation Adler in the same round, caused by five point deductions. XP8 is on course to successfully defend its U.S. gold medals. Several new names will be engraved on the William H. Ottley Sword, awarded to the FAI 8-way world champions and also known as the “8-way Excalibur”: James Hall, Brandon Kashani, and Carl Kallgren IV, along with team videographer Kevin Penn and alternates Jill Stephenson and Ian Pedowitz.

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NSL Live Talk with NMP PCH HayaBusa team captain Dennis Praet

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Dennis Praet assessed the 4-way Open Class leaderboard after Round 8 from the perspective of NMP PCH HayaBusa. The leaderboard is now complete, as the Italian 4-way Open Class team Amnesya Fly X had the opportunity to catch up by completing their two outstanding rounds. Those rounds had been delayed because of Chiara Brunett’s injury and substitute Mario Fatturoso’s double duties in 4-way and Canopy Piloting.

Dennis Praet and NMP PCH HayaBusa are well aware of the challenging situation facing both themselves and the Golden Knights. Overcoming the six-point deficit with only two sequences remaining appears almost impossible unless the French team Aethers Lille makes major mistakes with its own substitute, Clémentine Le Bohec. The preceding rounds have not exposed any significant weaknesses in the French team, even though the Golden Knights won Round 8 by five points over Aethers with a flawless, world-class performance. The fast sequence in Round 8 made such a substantial reduction in the gap possible. However, the slower sequences in Rounds 9 and 10 will also require the French team to show some weakness if the challengers are to close the remaining six-point deficit.

Dennis Praet also publicly confirmed that his time with the NMP PCH HayaBusa 4-way team, and with its current lineup, will come to an end after the 2028 outdoor world championship. He aims to win one more FAI gold medal in 2028 alongside his longtime teammate Jeroen “Bob” Nollet and their "4-way students" Neal Willems and Ray Lodens. Rounds 9 and 10 in both 4-way and 8-way are scheduled for tomorrow.

FAI Outdoor World Championship 2026			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open/Women Combined		11,16,10		9,17,4		J,D,E,19		1,14,H		K,M,2,O		B,18,6		A,N,7,8		P,L,C,12		F,3,13		20,G,22		Q,15,5		Total	Avg
1	Aethers Lille	FR	18	-1	27		38	-1	23		33		25		26	-1	26	-3	-		-		-		216	27.0
2	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	21		26		32	-3	21	-2	31	-2	23	-1	27	-2	29	-1	-		-		-		210	26.3
2	Golden Knights	US	18	-1	25		33	-3	21		33		24		25	-2	31		-		-		-		210	26.3
4	Nephtys Maubeuge	FR	17		17	-2	29		19		26		19		21		22	-1	-		-		-		170	21.3
5	Airbus 4-way Illertissen	DE	17		19	-1	25	-2	18		22	-2	18	-1	21		23	-1	-		-		-		163	20.4
6	Echochamber	SE	13	-2	19		25	-1	18		24	-1	18		22		19	-5	-		-		-		158	19.8
7	S.O.A.R.	UK	15	-1	16	-3	22	-3	18		22	-1	18		22		19	-1	-		-		-		152	19.0
8	Qatar Vortex	QA	13	-3	17	-2	27		16		23		16	-1	20	-1	19	-4	-		-		-		151	18.9
9	Skywalkers Most	CZ	13	-4	15	-3	26	-2	14	-3	22		19		23		18	-5	-		-		-		150	18.8
10	Out Of The Blue	NL	14		17		23	-1	13		25		18		19		17	-2	-		-		-		146	18.3
11	Ranch TNT SDAZ	US	11	-1	15		21		15		19		16		18		19		-		-		-		134	16.8
12	Amnesya Fly X	IT	12	-1	16		22	-2	15	-1	20		13	-1	14	-3	19		-		-		-		131	16.4
13	Thyra	NO	12	-2	11		15	-2	11		18		13		15		14		-		-		-		109	13.6
14	Flyspot Sky4Four	PL	9	-2	11	-2	12	-4	13		16		12		15		14		-		-		-		102	12.8
15	Random Fixation	AU	8	-3	14		14	-2	8	-3	15		14		13	-2	13		-		-		-		99	12.4
16	Funky Falcon	NL	8	-1	8	-2	13		10	-1	13	-1	9	-2	12		6	-2	-		-		-		79	9.9
17	MeXtreme	MX	7		9		9		8		11		5	-1	7	-2	7	-2	-		-		-		63	7.9

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