posted Mar 14th, 2012 - It was the same place where the NSL News met with the Aerodyne Deep Blue Defenders after training was done on Tuesday. NMP-PCH Hayabusa had cleared the space, and the French national 4way team in the female category moved in on the upper deck at Skydive DeLand. Both teams have scheduled a few more training days before the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2012.

The NSL News had received the first French update by coach Marin Ferré on 9 March 2012. He was working with the Defenders but had enough time for a conversation during the back-to-back jumps. Yesterday it was the complete lineup chatting with the NSL News.

There was another difference between the two NSL Talk sessions. Hayabusa coach Gary Smith, who had missed the interview of the Belgian team, made up for the earlier absence by anchoring the conversation with the Deep Blue Defenders for the NSL News.

The new NSL Talk session was as little prepared as the usual NSL Reality TV, and Gary Smith fired away with questions of his own interest. Much of the conversation was related to the dynamics of the new lineup that came together with latest member Stéphanie Texier at the end of the 2011 season.

The current lineup competed at the 3rd Dubai Championship 2011 and then again this year at the Aerokart Indoor Championship 2012. The NSL Talk shows that the French team seems to have just as much fun as the world champion lineup of 2010 used to have.

The only returning world champion, Amélie Tirman, is the most experienced team member, and she also speaks English very well. She answered more of the questions than her team mates. All four current members, plus videographer Rémy Grandcler, had posted their last message to the skydiving world in December, after the 2nd place behind the UK team in Dubai...

Stéphanie Texier is new to this lineup. However, she knows her piece partner, Laurence Herve in the Point slot, very well. Both have been training and competing together in the French military teams since 2007.

She has also been the official alternate for the previous lineup for a while and got her Center Outside slot when Sophie Deremaux surprisingly stepped back last year, shortly after the World Cup 2011.

The French Center Outside position actually has its correct meaning only at the Pilatus Porter or other jump planes with doors on the right side. Stéphanie Texier and all other "Center Outsides" of the French teams are exiting the Twin Otter from the Center Inside slot. It's the same situation for NMP-PCH Hayabusa who grew up with the Pilatus Porter.