Learn Your Aircraft

Posted on Mon May 10, 2021 @ 9:22am by Lieutenant JG Maximillian Schott & Ensign Goban Quinn

Mission: Episode 4: Infiltration
Location: Holodeck - The Western Front
607 words - 1.2 OF Standard Post Measure

The door to the holodeck opened on a field in Alsace and Max strode in with Goban behind him. The pilot had his shoulders thrown back in a tight leather jacket, with a scarf wrapped around his neck; the engineer was wearing a similar jacket but holding the scarf in a ball in his hands and trying to slouch forward.

"You brought me to a field," Goban grumbled.

"I told you. It's nothing like what you'd picture. A much simpler time. This whole air war was nothing like anything that came after it. 'Victories' were about downing equipment, not killing your enemy. Max Immelman's first 'victory' ended with him landing his plane by the one he had shot down, shaking hands with the pilot of the other plane, politely taking him prisoner, and rendering him medical assistance."

"I can't picture a Tholian doing that."

"Unlikely. This is what an airfield of the time would look like, basically. Obviously there would have been more people, but this is just to acquaint you with the plane, to see if you want to join me," Max walked over to a hangar and dragged open the door. Inside sat a small aircraft, "This is a Fokker M.5. 7.2 meters long, 9.5 meter wingspan, welded steel tube frame, 60 kW Oberursel U.0 7-cylinder rotary engine, maximum speed of 130 km/h, flight ceiling of 3,000m," Max put a hand on the wing and smiled back at Goban.

Goban frowned, "It only has one wing."

Max rolled his eyes, "Yes."

Goban, "I thought they had multiple wings."

Max, "There were also bi-plane and tri-planes, but the first fighter aircraft were mono-planes."

Goban walked up to the plane and looked around the front, "There are no weapons."

Max threw his head back in frustration, "I told you! You need to learn to fly first. This is very early flight. There's no such thing as auto-pilot or holding position. If you don't know what you're doing when you get in the sky you will quickly end up returned to the ground."

"If I wanted to learn something new, I'd learn something relevant."

"I promise, once you're up there, just you and the stick, you'll be happy you took the time to learn," Max put a foot on the wheel strut and hung off the aircraft, "You, the stick, and the sky."

"Uh-huh," Goban put a foot on the strut on the other side and lifted himself up to look in the cockpit, "How are you going to train me if only one of us fits?"

"I'm glad you asked," Max hopped off the plane and walked to a side door, "through door number two, we'll take you to flight school."

"You said this will be fun," Goban hopped off the plane and crossed his arms.

Max's eyes lit up, "Well, if you want to start by doing a ride-along while I fly, so you can get a sense of the appeal, come along through door number three." Max led the way into another hangar, which was empty. Max winked at Goban, "Computer, locate holodeck file Schott Whiskey-Whiskey-One. Load an Albatross B.I, standard markings, with ground crew."

The two watched as an engine, frame, canvas, then paint was constructed in front of them. Several uniformed holodeck characters appeared mid-action preparing the aircraft.

"Hop in the back," said Max, excitedly making his way to the pilot's seat, and getting in, "You're going to want to put the scarf on."

"Uh-huh," Goban inelegantly clambered into the back and haphazardly wrapped the scarf around his neck.

"Here we go," Max warned, as the crew threw open the door and started the engine.