Flight Training / Saber Class Departure Drills

Posted on Thu Oct 29, 2020 @ 2:05am by Lieutenant John Stoneman

Mission: Episode 1: On Stranger Tides
Location: Holodeck
Timeline: Current
842 words - 1.7 OF Standard Post Measure

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This was the fifth time he had run the simulation on the holodeck. Each time Stoneman rolled through every possibility that he could come up with. The last session was a highly complex situation occurred during dock release. It was over three hours long and involved evacuating crew out of certain areas of the vessel and station. John was soaked in sweat and after some water was prepared to get one more session in. it took several seconds for the simulation to load the bridge of a Saber Class Frigate..

The simulation was several John had loaded and been working on over the last several days. This was one of the ones he thought he would need the most work on as the exec of the USS Mercury he kept highly proficient in slow and high speed maneuver just in case. His former Captain insisted he was well versed in all aspects of the vessel, that included all bridge and command functions.

Once again he had bridge control, given to him by a stern voice. The Saber was docked. The simulated crew level was set to low meaning John would have to work through all the departure checklists as he went along. It was a slow and tedious process but necessary to master all checklists required.

Stoneman took the chair, “Bridge control to all stations. Prepare for departure.Begin Alpha checklists now.”

The security station was first to respond. “Security is in Alpha. All hands are accounted for, initial sweeps conducted. Vessel is secure security stations manned and ready.”

“Flight control in Alpha sir, all flight control standing by.'
“Engineering is a go, all hands ready for departure. Safety crews are manned and ready. Thrusters green and on command from primary flight control.”
“Medical reports condition Alpha. All environmental systems functioning and ready.”
“Science department is Alpha and ready for departure.”

John watched as all the departments checked in and reported a go status. Stoneman's simulated crew was ready and all systems checks completed and verified by the flight control team. As the station was of a smaller variety tractor beams were unavailable and the flight control team would use small thrusters on the port side of the frigate to move the vessel once engineering control released the docking bolts and tethers from the ship to the station.

“All stations begin your Bravo checklist at this time. Engineering report.” John was calm and things going well so far. At times the program would toss in a few glitches to keep things lively but nothing was going on just yet.

“Engineering reports all com tethers and support connections released. All hatches and vessel connections are closed and secure.”

Stoneman took one more look around the bridge. It looked good. “Very well engineering your go to unlock all port side bolts and stanchions. Please confirm full release from station.”

With in seconds the frigate seemed to be floating on it's own at the docking station.

“Station Traffic control. We are free and ready for departure from station on our assigned departure path.” John waited as a voice came over them IC on the main bridge.

“Traffic control to USS Saber, your release confirmed. Departure path confirmed at ten percent thrust on heading three hundred degrees authorized. Scans indicate path is clear and free from debris. Good hunting. Station traffic out.”

John nodded in approval. “Helm ten percent port thrust on that heading. Mark one thousand meters and orient turn to heading.”

“Aye, aye sir. The flight control team engaged the thrusters and backed the Frigate sideways from the station slowly. Once the vessel was safely a thousand meters from the station it made a forty degree turn to it's course heading.

“Captain, initial point reached. Flight control standing by for further orders.”

“Very well.” He turned to engineering again. Smiling he was ready to “Light the Candle” on this Frigate. “All systems online and ready to maneuver?”

The chief engineer returned his smile in a most robotic way. “Yes sir, All impulse engines are ready. Shields, and arrays a go.”

“Flight control increase to impulse five and test systems on this heading.” John looked down at the short range scans. His course was clear and he felt the vessel move smoothly forward.

“All stations report.” John was really watching closely now. All the departments reported in. No hull breeches, blown hatches or equipment faults. A very successful departure indeed..

The simulation stopped and went into is evaluation mode. A screen appeared in front of John with his eval rating for the exercise. He was surprised he received a seventy five percent rating. That was barely passing and just poor at most. He continued along further. He discovered that due to no emergency inputs that was the highest rating he would get from the sim. Stoneman thought he had done much better on other runs but all hell was breaking out. The more issues you solved the higher the score. The key in real life is to avoid all the issues to begin with..