Flight and Flying [Tuesday, August 18, 4th period]

[sith_happened]

"For your final class, you will be in an X-Wing starfighter," Anakin said with a smile. "Today we're going to practice flying in combat."

He waved at a droid-shaped hole on the back of the sim. "This is where your R2 unit would sit," Anakin, smiling. "Or whatever the droid number is these days. It's your copilot of sorts who can get to mechanical problems while you're flying. For example, fixing shields that have been damaged by laser fire. Since we don't have a real R2 droid here--right now, the sim will take care of that for you. It'll also scream at you if it thinks you're going too fast."

On cue, the sim let out an electronic wail. Anakin had learned to ignore that sound early.

He pointed into the inside of the cockpit. "There are a lot more controls in the X-Wing than the shuttle or the podracer, obviously It's more like the fighter plane, but you need to regulate atmosphere, gauge fuel and weapons' levels, as well as communications, landing gear and assorted other bells and whistles."

He smiled at them. "But don't worry too much--you're not going to be tested on this." He sat in the cockpit and showed them how to make the ship speed up, slow down, turn and spin. "Obviously, this moves much faster than anything else we've flown," he said, "and the sim has been programmed with the grav you'd have in your cockpit, so if you spin yourself too fast, you will make yourself sick. And then you will be cleaning out the sim." A glance at Danny. "Please, let's not repeat that experience."

Anakin clasped his hands together. "Okay. You'll each get a chance to try the sim out to learn how it works. You'll be in a program set way out in space so there's nothing for you to hit if you can't figure out how to steer right away. Once you feel more comfortable, there'll be a choice of two courses to run through--one that's strictly testing you on mobility, the other than also allows you to use the laser cannons."

He gave the class a cocky smile. "Before you came in, I set a new record on the sim for time and accuracy. See if you can come close. Wiggin, please come talk to me. I have a few astronavigational exercises for you."

Comments

Sign in [8/18]

[sith_happened]

Name and call sign, if you have one.

Re: Sign in [8/18]

[heromaniac]

Momoko Akatsutsumi, FIRST! Blossom

Re: Sign in [8/18]

[endsthegame]

Andrew Wiggin, Ender

Learn to fly the X-Wing

[sith_happened]

Spin and get sick and Anakin will make you clean it up. Or maybe Jess.

He's nice and petty that way.

Re: Learn to fly the X-Wing

[heromaniac]

Oh, sure. It had to be an X-wing. Well, at least they went fast, and luckily she'd flown one in Flight club. Momoko climbed in and went over again some of the controls that the professor had pointed out and she hadn't remembered Gavin explaining, then flipped her switches and lowered her hatch.

She took off into the open space, speeding of course, and just enjoying the freedom of flying. It was different in space, almost not really like flying, but still it felt good. The beeps and bwoops from her R2 unit freaked her a bit and she slowed back into a regular flight path and casual speed. Everyone was against her having fun.

She edged the speed up and down, playing with how fast she could go before her droid would signal, then finally ended the sim. She hoped the droid in the exercise wasn't as strict.

Re: Learn to fly the X-Wing

[wantstocheer.livejournal.com]

Oh, this was a fun one, Claire decided as she sat down and fiddled with the controls.

Re: Learn to fly the X-Wing

[sith_happened]

Anakin went through a quick rundown of what each control did.

"Got it?"

Re: Learn to fly the X-Wing

[hes-aphantom.livejournal.com]

As far as Danny was concerned, there would be no spinning.

He would push the X-Wing in the learning flight to see when the droid would scream though. Because that noise was funny.

Re: Learn to fly the X-Wing

[spiritandsword]

Annja was making sure she was familiar with all of the controls.

Obstacle Course #1

[sith_happened]

You're flying through a asteroid field. Duck, dodge, and spin to avoid being squished like a bug.

Don't cut it too close or the R2 unit will scream his head off.

The average pilot can get through the course in 12 minutes. The average Jedi can do it in about 9.

Anakin's new record is 7 flat. The R2 unit was not happy.

Re: Obstacle Course #1

[hes-aphantom.livejournal.com]

Danny was going far too fast for an inexperienced pilot, even at the start, and ended up having to phase the X-Wing through more than a few asteroids. "Oh God, oh God, please let that not have done anything weird to the outside part," he mumbled as he exited, having finished in 14.5 minutes.

Re: Obstacle Course #1

[heromaniac]

Momoko stayed at a moderate speed at first, and kept her eyes peeled for asteroids. After the first few went past, though, she got bored more confident and sped up.

She started ducking and looping at a greater speed that she should. Which was clearly what her droid was screaming at her. It was only a few seconds of this, though before the droid had work to tend to, as she hit wing on one of the space rocks.

"Always a wing!? This is why ships should be shaped like robots!" She complained as she gripped the controls tighter and tried to slow down without heading into an asteroid or, worse yet, a spin. She wasn't going to throw up in the sim, thank you very much!

Obstacle Course #2

[sith_happened]

You're flying through the trench run on the Death Star, a course full of sharp turns. There are five laser turrets shooting at you that you must destroy, as well as a thermal exhaust port at the end of the run that needs to be taken out.

Luckily, there are no TIE fighters coming in from behind. Not that Anakin wanted a rematch on this particular scenario.

An average pilot can go through the run in about 12 minutes (assuming he or she doesn't blow up and die, which is what most pilots, frankly, did). Anakin smoked it in 6 minutes flat.

Not, again, that he wanted a rematch here.

Re: Obstacle Course #2

[hes-aphantom.livejournal.com]

Danny managed to take out two turrets before clipping a wing on the third and spiraling into a magnificent crash.

At least he wasn't sick as well.

Chat with each other!

[sith_happened]

Last chance to say goodbye to any alum or folks leaving after the summer, woe!

Re: Chat with each other!

[wantstocheer.livejournal.com]

Claire watched her classmates take their runs and anxiously waited for her own turn.

Talk to the TAs!

[sith_happened]

Hello, boys!

Re: Talk to the TAs!

[repeterpetrelli.livejournal.com]

Peter was in denial about how close it was to the end of summer. Not wanting to think about it too much, he tried to distract himself by doodling on a spare piece of paper.

As he drew his eyes turned milky white and he lost all awareness of everything around him. He kept drawing, as though compelled to do so by unseen forces. Any attempts to try to get him out of it would go completely unheeded.

This lasted until the drawing was done, and his eyes returned back to normal. Peter blinked, trying to reorient himself. When he saw his drawing - that of a shadowy figure exploding in the middle of Manhattan - he looked stricken.

"Crap."

[open for interaction. characters are free to try to get Peter out of the trance if they want, but since that'll have no effect he won't respond until he's out of it]

Re: Talk to the TAs!

[wantstocheer.livejournal.com]

Like Claire wouldn't notice Peter go into a freaky trance?

"Peter, wake up. Peter!"

She was afraid to touch him; especially once she began to recognize the scene he was drawing.

'Crap' didn't even begin to cover it.

"Peter, are you okay?"

Re: Talk to the TAs!

[sith_happened]

Anakin had noted the shift in Peter immediately and was waiting when he came out of the trance.

"Drawing the future?" he asked softly, leaning in.

Talk with Anakin!

[sith_happened]

Please, no hugs. *g*

Re: Talk with Anakin!

[endsthegame]

"You rang?"

Ender's reply was just this side of laconic.

OOC

[sith_happened]

Feel free to mod Artoo's screams and the course as you'd like, but you won't come close to beating Anakin's scores.

He spent hours reaching his level of Marty Stu skillz.

Take as many tries as you want going through the trench or the asteroids, but remember that canonically, everyone but Luke and Wedge died in the trench. It's not video game easy. I'll mod the sim accordingly if I think you're making it seem too simple.

As always, thanks for making this course so much fun!!

Re: OOC

[glacial_queen]

Whole hours?

Pssht.

Re: OOC

[hes-aphantom.livejournal.com]

Is the thermal exhaust port still only two meters wide?