Anakin Skywalker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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fandomhigh2007-05-17 11:29 pm
sith_happened) wrote in fandomhigh2007-05-17 11:29 pm
Entry tags:
Flight & Flying [Friday, May 18, 2nd period]
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."
"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."
Re: Individual flight
Even in a sim, the fake scenery was flying past insanely quickly.
Re: Individual flight
When Anakin pushed the handlebars forward to the point where the speedmeter read 875, Neil flashed him a grin.
"It's always good to have a goal!" Meaning he was at least self aware enough to know that he wasn't going to be going any 875 or greater.
Reaching for the handlebars, he tried to draw them back to where Anakin had said was a good speed, memorizing how the racer felt just as he had his lines for the play before nodding to the professor and shouting over the noise of the idling engines.
"Okay, I think I'm ready to try it."
Re: Individual flight
Re: Individual flight
At least he hoped he did.
Taking a deep breath, Neil set Anakin's instructions into a mantra that ran over and over in his head gunned the engines up to where the ship felt right and then cut it loose.
Re: Individual flight
Re: Individual flight
...
Yeah, it was a nice dream and perhaps by the end of class he might be a wee bit closer to that perfect navigation.
For the moment?
Splat.
To much brut force on the controls, total overcompensation for the turn and a bit of panic sent Neil crashing -in a simulator manner- into the wall.
"Damn," Neil sighed softly, glaring at the controls and squeezing his hands around the handlebars.
Re: Individual flight