Mission 3 battlecruiser is my fave too :) I'm glad you sweated the cruiser as I designed it so that people playing for the first few times would run VERY close to the wire in terms of defeating the cruiser (the last 200 to 400 feet)

Getting Arielle can be tricky but general pointers: If she goes into a dive then dive straight down after her and keep diving until you hit her. If she is too far away try moving AWAY from her (straight back..)

Also if she has dived you can airbrake to drop slower and position yourself ABOVE her as she comes back up so she hits you!

On skyfall 3 you can just move in a pyramid to avoid most enemies (OK boring, but guarantees you safe passage).

On Gateway 3 float over the thermal and count to 10 saying 1001, 1002 in your head etc..) then for the other gates count to 6 using 1001 etc..

You must anticipate the time you will need to drop down to the gate from the thermal, if you come off it at 10 you will fail, try coming off around half to three quarters of the count needed..

I put a twist into each main mission objective so that just as you think you have done it something crops up.. Thus the brainwash on the girl and the firewall chasing you in Cybercity (it does not matter which way up you are diving(head first or feet first)as both positions drop at the same speed (160 with auto airbrake) so you can look up the tunnel to see the firewall get ever closer...

Gateway 4 is my favourite, it is so intense..if the electric balls at the top are chewing ya butt try going horizontal and airbraking all the time while shooting them continuously..

Don't try to avoid them, psyche them out with airbrakes and let'em have it!!

Endzone 1 Tips

The Endzones are very different they are slow and strategic as you have realised.

To beat the first endzone you need to use the yellow thermal towards the the top right corner of the zone.

Go on this BUT be careful you do not go into the next row where the homing mine is protecting the rear of the zone (including the landing pad itself).

When you are at your maximum height (around 42 feet) THEN hold down the airbrakes to lift you even higher, wait until the airbrakes are half way thru the yellow section on the gauge(this extra airbrake helps you float across the whole width of the endzone) and then float across the endzone to the other (opposite) wall (you MUST go straight across otherwise the thermals will blow you back to the front of the Endzone (where you came in). You MUST keep holding the airbrake as you dirft across to the other wall or you will fall short and get blown back. Don't worry about them overheating as you will reach the far wall by then.

When you get there drop back a couple of rows and use the thermal there to rise up and then airbrake up again and float down to get the shield pick-up.

With this go back to the yellow thermal in the top right corner and activate it (by pressing buttons A and B together)and build up and hold the airbrakes BEFORE diving for the landing pad as the homing mine will hit you almost instantly as you cross into its rear protection area.

Endzone 3 Tips

I realised I forgot to mention that you can bypass the impossible looking first row of thermals by going to the far right hand side (basically touch the wall) and push forward through the gap between the thermal edge and the wall..