Preparing For the Race

1. Disable aircraft collisions in FS.  To do this, click the Aircraft menu (press the Alt key if you don't see the menu), select "Realism Settings", and uncheck "Allow collisions with other aircraft" (the picture shown is for FS2002, but FS2004 is similar):
   
   

   
    

2. Disable "Pause on task switch" in FS (so that your game doesn't pause when you switch windows).  To do this, click the Options menu, select Settings, then General, and uncheck "Pause on task switch":
   
   

   
    

3. The race administrator will tell you where the race will begin and which aircraft you're allowed to fly.
    

4. The race administrator may (or may not) specify minimum and maximum altitudes for the race:

   Minimum altitude - If, for example, the minimum is 2000 feet, then you must climb to at least 2000 feet somewhere during each hop.  Once you reach 2000 feet, FSHost will send you a private chat message letting you know that you've reached the minimum and that you can change to any altitude for the rest of that hop.  You must climb to the minimum altitude somewhere during each hop of the race.

   Maximum altitude - If a maximum altitude is specified, then you must not fly higher than this altitude anywhere during the race.

Starting the Race

When all players are aligned at the designated starting point and ready to go, the race administrator will start the countdown, and chat messages will be sent to all players.  The first chat message will include the minimum and maximum altitudes, if they were specified by the race administrator (if not, then you'll just see the countdown time):

The race will start in 15 seconds...
You must reach 2000 feet somewhere during each hop.
Max altitude is 10000 feet.

Then another chat message will be sent every 5 seconds during the countdown:

The race will start in 10 seconds...

The race will start in 5 seconds...

And then finally the actual starting message, which includes the instructions for the first hop.  For example:

*** GO! ***   Fly heading 300 for 14nm and touch-and-go at KORD (Chicago O'Hare), runway 27L.

You can then take off and head for KORD.  Don't forget to climb to the minimum altitude somewhere during each hop.

NOTE: Don't power up your engines during the countdown, because any movement of your plane will cause the countdown to be automatically aborted.

During the Race

When you arrive at each hop airport, land on the specified runway (or any runway, if not specified), and slow down until you see the next hop instructions arrive in your chat window.  For example:

Hop 2/3: Fly heading 151 for 13.5nm and touch-and-go at KMDW (Chicago-Midway), runway 13C.

You can then immediately power up and take off for KMDW.

IMPORTANT:  After landing, you must slow down until you receive the next hop instructions in the chat window from FSHost before taking off again.  Usually this happens when your speed goes below somewhere around 60 kts.  However, if the airport you're landing at has a rough runway with gravel or dirt, it's possible that FSHost may not see you as "on the ground" until you get to a speed much lower than 60 kts.  Once you see the next hop instructions in the chat window, you can immediately power up and take off again, heading to the next airport.  If you take off before receiving the next hop instructions, you must land again at the same airport to get the instructions.  Failure to do so will result in an incomplete race, and you will be automatically disqualified.

You will also be automatically disqualified if you do any of the following during the race:

• Slew
• Pause (including changing scenery or date/time)
• Use a simulation rate other than the normal 1X
• Change planes
• Crash
• Complete a hop without reaching the minimum altitude somewhere during the hop (if a minimum is specified)
• Fly higher than the maximum altitude for the race (if a maximum is specified)
• Skip a hop (or take off from an airport before waiting for FSHost to give you the next hop instructions)

If you are disqualified during the race, it will be announced in the chat window.  You can then complete the race if you want, but you will not be able to win.  :-(

If you ever need to see the hop information again, just type "?hop" in the chat window and the server will send it to you in a private message.

The Winner!

The first non-disqualified player to finish the Hop List and get an "on-ground" status at the last airport (usually after slowing to about 60 kts, but see above), is the declared the winner.

If a disqualified player reaches the last airport first, the race will continue until a non-disqualified player completes the race and wins.

Have a great race, and GOOD LUCK!