Welcome listeners of the Wireless Phone Network. This is William Bonifort Reporting for the Wireless Phone Network. Today is the day all the fans of the Airship Races have been waiting for all summer long. The first leg of the Euro/Alliance Airship championship races. This year the starting field has two hundred and fifty starters that made it through the local and national races. Here in the Highlands of Scotland, the Airship crews prepare their vessels for the first leg of the two month long, thirty nation, four Continent race.

The Britain champion, Sir Gerald Riggers the Fourth is preparing his winning ship, the Zeffer, for flight. For those that have never seen it, it is of a design like a normal Airship, but thinner and leaner. His lift bag is as close to the gondola as is safe with a coal burner to produce the steam to drive the engines. His custom piston system is faster and more powerful than those used on the large commercial vessels. His three man crew will race and win for the glory of England once again.

There are six entrants from the Highlands this year, all their vessels follow the more traditional designs so are not as fast or maneuverable as the custom designs. The Conner's and Charles Clans are both being kept well apart this year as they are having a minor inter clan dispute that could lead to violence on the ground. Once in the air though, they are honorable men and will obey the rules of conduct expected of all flyers.

France has fielded twenty flyers this year, all part of a team that has proven tough to beat all around. They form in the air and assist each other with the flight winds. The Ferrari Team will be a challenge to the grand champions of the last few years.

From across the Atlantis we have three flyers from the Alliance States. The Wright Brothers from the Io River State, Henry Ford of the Lakes Motor Carriage Company and a Mister Lincoln of the Continental Airship production company. Mister Lincolns is the largest on the field, over three hundred feet long. We received a report from the interview he gave a day ago that the inside is as plush and elegant as a ship of the sea. That gives thought it is not very fast as it looks heavy to my trained eyes.