posted Jun 17th, 2004 - National teams and competitors were recently worried by rumors that the organizers of this year's World Championship of Formation Skydiving in Croatia were considering to use different jump planes. The bid for the IPC event and earlier announcements by the host together with postings on the event's website had the Russian helicopter MI-8 as the aircraft for the world meet. Based on the first official announcements after a country won the IPC bid for the next world meet, the qualified teams make their training plans according to the chosen aircraft. The MI-8 helicopter has a wide tailgate ramp, and teams began training from other jump planes that offer tailgate exits, like Skyvan and Casa.

The organizers of the IPC Anton Malevsky Memorial World Cup 2004 made their own efforts to accommodate the desire of the national teams from all over the world to train and compete from the same aircraft that will drop the teams at the world meet. The Malevsky Cup management did not only arrange a tailgate for the upcoming meet but even managed to offer exactly the same MI-8 helicopter for this year's event. The Russian Malevsky Cup management also organized a MI-8 mock-up for the exit training on the ground.

It was alarming teams, competitors and the Malevsky Cup management when rumors came out that the world meet organizers in Croatia considered using a Let410 with a left-hand door instead of the MI-8. These rumors had a solid foundation since they started with a visit of the British IPC delegate John Hitchen at the event site in Croatia not too long ago. DeLand Majik member Solly Williams confirmed that Hitchen had mentioned the possibility of switching the aircraft after speaking with the Croatian event management during his visit.A different aircraft situation in Croatia could have a serious impact on the outcome of the race between the three top contenders from France, the USA and Italy, as Williams explained to the NSL News. The left-hand door would not hurt his team, DeLand Majik, that much since teams in the USA are used to jump mostly from Twinotters. However, even Majik would prefer the MI-8 ramp after approx. 650 training jumps from Skydive DeLand's Skyvan tailgate.

It would be much more challenging for France Maubeuge and Sinapsi PD. Both teams mostly train from a Pilatus Porter with a right-hand door in their countries. However, both teams switched to tailgate training as soon as the MI-8 was announced as the aircraft for the next world meet. Switching from either a left-hand or a right-hand door to a tailgate does not make a difference at all and is the same and equal task for any team. Continuity plans, slots and muscle memory do not have to be re-learned. The teams just have to become familiar with the new exit door and the relative wind on the hill.

The challenge for the Malevsky Cup management to switch the aircraft for their IPC World Cup in two weeks on such a short notice would also be a very tough one if not impossible. Several national teams and the Malevsky Cup management went to work as soon as the rumor was out and tried to find out what was going on in Croatia. Many e-mails and phone calls happened across the globe in the past days. Finally, clarification came once again from Fiona McEachern, Chair of the IPC Competition Committee. She e-mailed to delegates, teams and media outlets that things are under control: "Hi all, the aircraft for the WPC FS events in Croatia will be MI8 helicopters as stated in the Bulletin and on the website. There will be no change. This was confirmed by the organisers overnight. Regards, Fiona." She added a copy of the confirmation she had received from the meet management in Croatia: "Dear Fiona, FS will be performed as it was planed from MI-8. Best regards, Goran Habschied."