The Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE) is almost here, and to help everyone get the most from the annual ship show, we’ve answered the community’s most pressing questions. Read on for everything you need to know about the show, including where to go and how to take part in the upcoming Free Fly event. What exactly is the IAE? The Intergalactic Aerospace Exposition, or IAE, is the universe’s premier space ship show and convention. It provides everyone with the opportunity to see some of Star Citizen's biggest, best, and most iconic ships up close, as different manufacturers take over the halls each day. Plus, almost everything on display is available to test-fly for free! When is the IAE taking place? Starting on November 20 through December 2, different ship manufacturers take over the expo for 48 hours. What time does the event start? The IAE opens its gates on November 20 at 8am Pacific. We have some new concurrency related features that we're utilizing for this event, so while the gates will open to backers at 8am Pacific, the Free Fly will commence in the early afternoon at 2pm Pacific. This gives us time to monitor organic traffic the first part of the day, before opening up the flood gates to those looking to participate in the Free Fly. When does the Free Fly start? For new players specifically, the Free Fly will start November 20 at 2pm Pacific. I neither own a Star Citizen Game Package nor a spacecraft. How can I travel to microTech and enjoy the Free Fly? No worries, we got you covered! The Intergalactic Aerospace Expo is the ultimate time to test Star Citizen and almost every ship we made for free - for everyone! We provide every account with an Origin 100i starter ship as a free loaner during the IAE 2950. Where does the IAE take place? Where do I have to go? The IAE changes locations annually. This time, it's touched down at the Tobin Expo Center, New Babbage, microTech. How do I get to the Tobin Expo Center? First, you need to head to the planet microTech. If this is your first visit to the Stanton System, you can choose to spawn at the New Babbage Aspire Grand directly. If you're already a citizen of the 'verse, jump to microTech, spline jump to New Babbage, then land at the Interstellar Spaceport. From there, take the Metro transit system and get off at the Tobin Expo Centre. As below, no matter where you board the train, you'll eventually arrive at the correct stop. How do I rent a ship? The IAE displays ships from different manufacturers throughout the event. If you see something you'd like to test-fly, walk up to it and press and hold the F key to open the inner thought menu. The ship will become highlighted, then left-click on the word RENT. Your mobiGlass will open. Then, confirm the rental by clicking RENT in the lower-right corner. You can then head to the Space Port or any other ASOP terminal throughout the 'verse. The rented ship will be available for 48 hours. How long can ships be rented? You can rent ships as long as they are on display at the IAE. All manufacturers exhibit their ships for 48 hours. Check the IAE 2950 Schedule to see which ships can be viewed and rented on which days. Once you have rented a craft, it will be available for 48 hours. How many ships can be rented? You can rent every flyable or drivable vehicle exhibited at the IAE. Each ship or vehicle can be rented once. Which ships exactly will be free to rent during the different manufacturer days? Check the IAE 2950 Schedule to see which ships can be viewed and rented on which days. Do I need a copy of Star Citizen to enjoy the IAE? No. For the duration of the IAE, anyone can play Star Citizen for free. All you need to do is visit the Fly Now page and follow the instructions. Can I invite a friend? Of course! All they need to do is visit the Fly Now page, create an account, and jump into the game. Don't forget, using your referral code during account creation grants them an additional 5,000 UEC. And if they decide to stay after the Free fly, you'll earn a referral point. Who will get the Best in Show liveries? The final four ships in our recent Ship Showdown event will receive the Best in Show liveries. They are the: Anvil Carrack Anvil Valkyrie Aegis Eclipse Drake Cutlass Black If you already own one of these ships, you'll receive the IAE-exclusive paint (and relevant wearable) on the last day of the Expo at no cost. To be eligible to receive the paints, the ships need to be in your hangar - having them in your Buyback List won't be granting you the Best in Show Liveries. Everyone pledging for a Best in Show 2950 ship during the IAE will receive the paint, too. The Best in Show ships will also be available to fly for free between November 29 and December 2. Will there be Warbond CCUs available? Yes. Check back each day throughout the expo to see what's available. Will there be quantity stock-limited ships? Yes! Each stock-limited ship is limited to 1 per account and will be available in three waves to cover as many global time zones as possible. Wave 1: 8am Pacific Time Zone Wave 2: 4pm Pacific Time Zone Wave 3: 12am Pacific Time Zone IAE Day 1 - November 20th: CNOU Pioneer IAE Day 2 - November 21st: Aegis Idris-P, Aegis Idris Aftermarket Kit, and Aegis Javelin IAE Day 5 - November 24th: Hull-E IAE Day 6 - November 25th: Drake Kraken, Drake Kraken Privateer, Drake Kraken Aftermarket Kit IAE Day 8 - November 27th: Origin 890 Jump IAE Day 9 - November 28th: RSI Polaris, Constellation Phoenix Do you have additional questions? Ask them and we will do our best to answer them.