Flight & Flying [Friday, May 18, 2nd period]

[sith_happened]

Anakin stood in front of the door of the miraculously unscathed flight shed and waited for the workshop students to arrive, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his dark robes.

"Welcome," he said, giving them a nod. "I'm Master Skywalker, and I'll be your instructor for flight this session. I'm from a space-based culture, so my expertise is primarily in those sorts of aircraft, but we'll also be working with the way people fly on this planet. We'll begin with simulators and if you convince me of your attention to detail and your ability not to die in stupid ways, you'll eventually be allowed to fly the real things." He pointed at Aeryn with a small smile. "This is Aeryn Sun, and she'll be the TA for this workshop. Listen to her instructions and recommendations just as carefully as you do mine--she's one hell of a pilot."

He waved a hand lazily at the doors and they slid open to reveal two podracing simulators sitting side-by-side.

"All right," he said, pointing at the controls, "everything you need to fly a podracer is located on the handlebars. You push them forward to go faster, pull back to slow down, and pull one or the other towards you to turn." He pointed at the buttons in the center of the console. "That controls the engines," he said. "You push the big button to light them up, and on these two models, you can push it again for an extra burst of speed." He looked at the class. "Which burns your fuel very, very quickly, so save that until you need it."

He raised an eyebrow. "Normally, these are attached to enormous engines--6 or 7 meter long engines--but these aren't real, and the simulator won't really give you the noise that's normally associated with the podracer. But the simulator has been programmed to go very, very quickly." He pointed to the simulator on the left-hand side. "This one, properly piloted, can get up to 950 kilometers an hour. The other can get up to 900. To fly a podracer at those kinds of speed requires iron nerves and split-second reflexes."

He clasped his hands in front of him. "Today you can take a turn learning how the simulators work, then pair up to fly against each other." He gave them a slightly predatory smile. "If you choose, you can fly against me. I built the real version of this podracer," he patted the left-hand simulator, "and used it to win a race when I was nine years old. And I won't give you a head start."

Comments

Introductions

[sith_happened]

Name, grade, and flying experience, if any.

Re: Introductions

[sonofdragons.livejournal.com]

"My name is Tannim. I'm a junior, now," Tannim said. "I've never flown anything, but I've done a lot of driving."

Re: Introductions

[sith_happened]

"This is slightly different," Anakin commented dryly. "How fast have you ever driven?"

Re: Introductions

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

"I'm Naomi Wildman," Naomi said, "I'll be a sophomore in the fall. I grew up on a starship and I got to help pilot a shuttle once with the ship's pilot. I was also in flight club for a semester last year,"

Re: Introductions

[sith_happened]

"What kind of shuttle?" Anakin asked, intrigued. "How fast could it go? How large was it?"

Re: Introductions

[imissmydolphin.livejournal.com]

"I'm Lucas. I'm a senior." Again, he added mentally. "I don't have any flying experience, but that doesn't mean I haven't got any piloting experience."

Re: Introductions

[sith_happened]

"Really," Anakin replied. "What did you pilot, then?"

Re: Introductions

[multiplez]

"I'm Z, and I'm a senior. Um. Actually, I took this workshop last summer but my mun is a total flake I sent a replicate to register and you know how they can be. So...here I am again."

Re: Introductions

[sith_happened]

Anakin gave her a small smile. "We'll see how good an instructor I was."

Re: Introductions

[abhorsentobe.livejournal.com]

"I'm Sabriel and I'm a Junior I think, and I don't have any flying experience," Sabriel said, staring at the podracers.

Re: Introductions

[sith_happened]

Anakin gave her a reassuring smile. "It's not that hard."

Re: Introductions

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Mel Fray," she said sounding a little cocky. "I used to hotwire flying cars and take them for a spin."

Re: Introductions

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"I'm John Sheppard, sophomore, and I've logged 20 hours toward my pilot's license." John quickly added, "Here on Earth, that is."

Re: Introductions

[sixstandingby.livejournal.com]

"I'm Gavin Darklighter," he started, "and I'm sixteen. Before I came here, I was flying X-Wings with my squadron back home. I've also got some landspeeder experience."

Re: Introductions

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Sam Anders, but I don't go by Sam," Anders said. "Holy frak, I'm a senior now, and . . . well, I have my Galaxy Glider, but it won't break atmosphere and it's pretty much a flying surfboard. So no experience with flying anything with controls . . . or an actual cockpit with a canopy."

Re: Introductions

[fantastic-torch.livejournal.com]

"Johnny Storm, junior. I used to be a pilot for Von Doom Industries in New York City, where I'm from. And as such was given the opportunity to pilot an experimental aircraft which totally went wrong in a good way which was way cool."

Re: Introductions

[solo_sword]

"Jaina Solo, sophomore," she said carefully. "I first copiloted a TY-1300 when I was nine, and have been in anything I could, including and X-wing and a few TIE's, including running interference from an attack."

She had actually glossed over a couple things.

Re: Introductions

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Listening to everyone's introductions Isabel was starting to get nervous. "I'm Isabel Evans. I'm a senior. And all my experience flying has been as a passenger."

Re: Introductions

[iftheseshadows.livejournal.com]

"I'm Neil Perry, I'm a rising senior and do flying desk sets count?"

Re: Introductions

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"I'm Inara Serra," she introduced herself, somewhat relieved that Professor Skywalker seemed to be sane and knowledgeable, as opposed to her previous two classroom experiences this week, "and I'm a sophomore. I have no flying experience, even though I come from a culture where interplanetary travel is common."

Re: Introductions

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"I'm Luke," Luke said, giving his father a bit of a glare, "I'm going to be a senior, I've been flying--landspeeders, T-16s, X-Wings--just this side of forever and I once blew up a Death Star."

Re: Introductions

[im-fullmetal.livejournal.com]

"I'm Ed. I'm a junior," Edward said. "I was learning how to fly before I came here, but... not that good yet."

Re: Introductions

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"I'm Robin, I'm a freshman, and I don't have any flying experience. Unless you count the cargo hold of a plane."

Re: Introductions

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"My name's William Kessler, I'm going to be a senior, and I've got a bit of experience with a flight simulator. Earth based fighter planes."

Re: Introductions

[narglette.livejournal.com]

"I am Luna Lovegood and I am a six... a... I am entering the eleventh grade." Luna said, still adjusting back to life in the states. "I have flown in many ways, on the backs of birds and flesh-eating horses, upside-down on a carpet, side-saddle upon a broom, but only inside chimneys, telephone booths and elevators have I flown inside man-made metals."