Starting and stopping a game

G starts a race

If the game is not a race, press G. Three tall pylons stand on the field, and the game panel says RACE. All the planes go back to the hands of their pilots, and the game panel says TAKE OFF. The plane is in your hand at the pilot box. The three computer pilots hold their planes beside you. The game panel says LAP 0/5. The game panel says CUTS 0.

Except when the game clock is off: see A race starts with every plane on the ground.

See it in Your first pylon race.

Given the game is not a race
When the pilot starts a race
Then the game is a race
  And the game clock is waiting for takeoff
  And the plane is in hand
  And the opponents are in hand
  And the lap count is 0
  And the cut count is 0

T starts a game of tag

You are it first, so you start the game as the chaser.

If the game is not tag, press T. The game panel says TAG. All the planes go back to the hands of their pilots, and the game panel says TAKE OFF. The plane is in your hand at the pilot box. The three computer pilots hold their planes beside you. The game panel says YOU ARE IT.

See it in A game of tag.

Given the game is not tag
When the pilot starts a game of tag
Then the game is tag
  And the game clock is waiting for takeoff
  And the plane is in hand
  And the opponents are in hand
  And the chaser is you

The key of the game stops it

The planes of the computer pilots go away, and you fly freely.

If the game is not free flight, press G again to stop a race, or T again to stop a game of tag. The game panel, the pylons and the other planes go away. The game panel goes away.

Given the game is not free flight
When the pilot ends the game
Then the game is free flight
  And the game clock is off

The game waits for you to take off

The preflight is yours to do: the countdown does not start until your plane is in the air.

If the game clock is waiting for takeoff and the plane is in hand, press 4 to set the throttle to 80 %. The game panel counts down to GO.

See it in Your first pylon race, A game of tag.

Given the game clock is waiting for takeoff
  And the plane is in hand
When the pilot throws the plane with the throttle
Then the game clock is counting down

At GO the computer pilots throw their planes

If the game clock is counting down and the countdown ends, the game panel says GO, and its clock starts. The computer pilots throw their planes, one each second, and the planes climb away.

See it in Your first pylon race, A game of tag.

Given the game clock is counting down
When the countdown ends
Then the game clock is running
  And the opponents are flying