Wanna be an astronaut? BOTA presents: Mission Moon

[Guest]

The Battle of the Airlines proudly presents: Mission MoonThe Battle of the Airlines is the largest virtual air race on this planet... and beyond! We are extremely proud to present our new race named Mission Moon. A crazy adventure for virtual airlines and individual pilots from around the world, taking the contestants to some of the most exciting places on the Western hemisphere and ultimately to where no flightsimmer has gone before... the Moon! VA's and pilots can register now on the BOTA site http://www.planetaviation.com/virtualairlines/battle/ .It has been tried before and for the first time it will become virtual reality: using Microsoft FlightSimulator 2002 pilots will go beyond the frontier of 100000 feet and head into space. With a Space Shuttle, custom-built for this race by Aeroworks Technologies (http://simviation.com/aeroworks/) they will dock the International Space Station ISS and continue their journey to the Moon.... once there they even get the time to do some sight-seeing at a historical site! Their mission ends after returning to Earth and completing the hazardous re-entry into the atmosphere successfully.The Battle of the Airlines' upcoming race is a lot more than this final mission to the Moon. In the preceeding 7 stages the western hemisphere will be roamed and many challenges will have to be taken. It's a race of extremes in which the pilots will fly both the largest and the smallest of airplanes, in both the hottest and coldest enviroments found on this planet. If it is of any comfort to the contestants-to-be: the race is once again under the leadership of the notorious RaceRunner Ray!Mission Moon is scheduled to start on February 3 and will last until March 31.As always, the Battle of the Airlines is a non-multiplayer, adventure-type of race in which the pilots have to fly a series of 8 weekly stages. Starting from 3 February 2003 each week a new stage is released, meaning the necessary files are made available and the pilots get briefed. Mission Moon is not a set of FS-native adventure flights, instead a seperate program is in control. This program will be released by the end of December. Once installed the pilots can start flying the Preliminary Stage, a free ride to get acquainted with flying a BOTA adventure.For the first time in her 5 year history, The Battle of the Airlines is now also opened for individual pilots. Meaning: pilots who are not flying for any virtual airlines can join on their own. Of course the race is still also opened for Virtual Airlines that like to show that their pilots are the best around!The Battle of the Airlines website (http://www.planetaviation.com/virtualairlines/battle/) has now been dedicated to the Mission Moon race. You will find a number of sponsors giving away fabulous prizes so there's more to win than just virtual immortality when you win the race!The upcoming Battle of the Airlines race is organized by Raymond van Laake, Imal Mille, Stephen Chase, Pete Lohvansuu and Ace Lomcovak.History of The Battle of the Airlines TrophyThe Battle of the Airlines Trophy has been the largest virtual air race on internet ever since the kick off five years ago. Pilots from all over the world compete with the ultimate goal of bringing the prestigous Trophy back home. BOTA was founded in 1998 and started with a successful edition named Las Americas in which the pilots had to fly from Mexico City to Rio de Janeiro in nine spectacular stages. Important contributions to BOTA came from programmer Larry Fortna and cartoonist Chuck Downs whose "RaceRunner Ray" cartoons spice up the battle even today.The second edition The Search for Atlantis 2000 was the brainchild of Larry in which the pilots had to find their own route between a set of given airports and waypoints with help from the Microsoft Agent Peedy the Parrot. With help from Phil Ray as Reporter Bear many pilots eventually found their way around the Atlantic Ocean to the lost island of Atlantis.Unfortunately Larry had no time anymore, but the foundation he laid was solid enough for others to continue with the third race The Scent of South East Asia 2001. It was a tough race, not least because of a ban on beer issued by the RaceRunner, with many highlights such as the Kai Tak approach in Hong Kong, landing on an aircraft carrier and a suicidal low level flight over the Himalaya's.For the upcoming edition of The Battle of the Airlines, Mission Moon, the sky is not the limit. The contestants will be going boldly where no simpilot has gone before! But not before the notorious RaceRunner Ray once again has done everything possible in the preceeding stages to scare any rookie astronaut off....The Battle of the Airlines Trophyhttp://www.planetaviation.com/virtualairlines/battle/Contact: RaceRunner Ray r.vanlaake@chello.nlMission Moon: 3 February 2003 - 31 March 2003Virtual Airlines and individual pilots can register now for Mission Moon!