posted Oct 17th, 2015 - The German 4-way team AtomiX YUU made the Sun Path Products NSL News quite a few times recently. AtomiX was the only German team at the FAI World Cup 2015 and will represent the country at the World Air Games in Dubai at the end of the year.

The best German 4-way team and reigning national champion is actually Airbus Illertissen. The leaderboard of the national championships is showing clearly that Airbus is in fact far ahead of all other German teams. Serious competition could have been created only by Paratec-Saar, the former German national 4-way team, who disbanded after the World Meet 2014 and tried to organize a comeback at this year's national championships without success.

Airbus Illertissen could attend neither the World Cup nor the World Air Games, however, the team is committed to compete for Germany at the Mondial 2015 and has extensive training plans.

German Nationals 2015		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	20,O,P,16	13,18,19	10,11,1	D,2,17	4,L,C,5	22,N,A,H	15,21,3	14,9,M	6,E,8	K,G,B,12	Total	Avg
1	Airbus Illertissen	20	15	13	21	20	20	17	23	20	21	190	19.0
2	AtomiX YUU-Skydive	17	13	12	17	15	17	13	13	13	19	149	14.9
3	FSC Remscheid	17	11	13	16	14	14	14	18	12	11	140	14.0

The 19.0 average at the German Nationals 2015 is not the highest average for Airbus, who had passed the 20-point benchmark at the German Nationals 2013 with a 20.1 average. The technically very challenging competition draw in Saarlouis this year, with six slot switching sequences in ten rounds, did not allow a higher average at this point in time.

Most likely, next year's results will not drop below 20-average ever again. More training than in 2015 will move the scores up to the performance level that the team is already showing by now.

The higher average will be much needed at next year's world meet if Airbus wants to bring Germany back into the finals. AtomiX did not make it into the last round of the World Cup. The 6th place in the European Championships qualified the German team for the 10th round in Teuge, and the stakes will be much higher at Skydive Chicago next year.

World Meet 2004			Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		B,P,C,18	9,15,16	K,11,19	E,F,7,5	A,J,21,12	6,4,10	17,Q,L,1	H,14,3	13,22,O	N,M,D,2	Total	Avg
1	DeLand Majik	US	29	23	17	30	18	19	27	21	19	24	227	22.7
2	Maubeuge	FR	28	22	18	30	17	19	23	20	18	24	219	21.9
3	Sky Panthers	RU	24	21	19	25	22	15	28	19	16	22	211	21.1
4	Sinapsi PD	IT	22	21	20	28	21	18	23	19	16	22	210	21.0
5	EADS	DE	20	18	17	24	17	16	19	17	16	19	183	18.3
6	Hayabusa	BE	21	17	17	21	11	16	20	17	17	21	178	17.8
7	Endeavour	CH	16	17	14	19	16	13	19	14	14	-	142	15.8
7	Arcteryx	NO	19	14	15	21	15	13	17	15	13	-	142	15.8
9	Danez	DK	17	16	13	21	11	15	19	15	14	-	141	15.7
10	Spain	ES	19	16	15	21	15	11	16	12	14	-	139	15.4

Paratec-Saar's 2014 lineup had missed the world meet finals after a disastrous Round 9. The original lineup had finished in 8th place at the Mondial Dubai 2012. The same lineup had been even closer in Menzelinsk 2010 with a 7th place.

It was in Croatia 2004 when Germany's national 4-way team EADS made it to the final round the last time. EADS finished in 5th place with an 18.3 average. Two of the EADS 2004 members are in the Airbus Illertissen lineup and still fly the rear piece together: Inside Center Olaf Biedermann and Tail Goran Meyer. Jens Gonnemann and Thomas Spielvogel completed the lineup in 2004, with Marc Ewert on camera.

Thomas Mack (Outside Center) and Christian Schafer (Point) are now the front piece for Airbus, and they will try to help bring Germany back to a slot in the finals. It will not be easy. The Sun Path Products NSL News will soon take a closer look at the expected top positions in the 4-way Open Class next year...