LESSON 1: Priorities
Flight Control (CONN)
The Flight control console, often referred to as CONN, is responsible for actual piloting and navigation of the spacecraft. Although these are heavily automated functions, Thier criticality demands a humanoid officer to oversee these operations at all times. The Flight Control Officer (also referred to as CONN) recieves instructions directly from the commanding officer. There are five major areas of responsibility for the Flight Control Officer: * Navigational reference/course plotting * Supervision of automated flight operations * Manual flight operations * Position verification * Bridge liaison to the Engineering Department
Operations
During impulse powered spaceflight, CONN in responsible for monitoring relative effects as well as inertial damping system status. In the event that a requested manuever exceeds the capacity of the inertial damping system, the computer will request CONN to modify the flight plan to bring it within the permitted performance envelope. During alert status, flight rules permit CONN to specify manuevers that are potentially dangerous to the crew or the spacecraft. Warp flight operating rules require CONN to monitor subspace field geometry in parallel with the Engineering Department. During wapr flight, the flight control console continually updates long-range sensor data and make automatic course corrections to adjust the minor variations in the density of the interstellar medium. Because of the criticality of flight control in spacecraft operations, particularly during crisis situations, CONN is connected to a dedicated back-up Flight operations subprecessor to provide for manual flight control. This equipment package includes emergency navigation sensors.
Specific Duties
Navigational references/course plotting The flight control console displays readings from navigational and tactical sensors, overlaying them on current projections. CONN has the option of accesing data feeds fron secondary navigation and science sensors for verification of primary sensor data. Such cross-checks are automatically performed at each change-of-shift and upon activation of Alert Status.
Manual flight operations The actual execution of flight instructions is generally left to computer control, but CONN has the option of exercising manual control over helm and navigational functions. In full manual mode, CONN can actually steer the ship under keypad control.
Reaction Control System (RCS) Althought the actual vector and sequence control of the system is normally automated, CONN has the option of manually commanding the RCS system or individual thrusters. CONN also serves as a liaison to the Engineering Department in the he/she is responsible for maintaining propulsion system status reports to the commanding officer in the absence of an engineering officer's presence on the bridge.
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LESSON 2: Flight Operations
Flight Information Input
There are five standard input modes available for verification of spacecraft flight paths. Any of these options may be flight entered either by keyboard or by vocal command. In each case, Flight Control software will automatically determine an optimal flight path comforming to Starfleet Flight and safety rules. CONN then has the option of executing this flight plan or modifying any parameters to meet specific mission needs. Normal input modes include:
Destination planet or star system: Any celestial object within the navigational database is acceptable as a destination, although the system will inform COMM in the event that the destination exceeds the operating range of the spacecraft. Specific facilities ( such as orbital space stations) within the database are also acceptable destinations.
Destination sector: A sector identification number or sector common name is a valid destination. In the absense of a specific destination within a sector the flight pth will default to the geometric center of a specified sector.
Spacecraft intercept: This requires CONN the specify a target spacecraft on which a tactical sensor lock has been established. This also requires CONN the specify either a relative closing speed or an intercept time so that speed can be determined. An absolute warp velocity can also be specified. Navigational softeware will determine an optimal flight path based on specified speed and tactical projection of target vehicle's flight path. Several variations of this mode are available for use during combat situations
Relative bearing: A flight vector can be specified as an azimuth/elevation relative to the current orientation of the spacecraft. In such cases, 000-mark 0 represents a flight vector straight ahead.
Absolute heading: A flight vector can also be specified as an azimuth/elevation relative to the center of the galaxy. In such cases, 000-mark 0 represents a flight vector from the ship to the center of the galaxy.
Galactic coordinates: Standard galactic XYZ coordinates are also acceptable as a valid input, although most ship's personnel find this cumbersome.
The Coordinate System
The first thing one must understand before beginning a journey is the astrogation coordinate system. Basic astrogation terms are the sector, star zone and star system:
Sectors: The navigation block is an area containing 512 sectors arranged in an 8x8x8 grid. Each sector location is labelled by a series of three two-digit numbers from 00 to 07. For example, the M'Kyru sectore can be found at sector coordinates 04-04-04.
Star Zones: Every sector is then divided up into star zones. A sector contains 8,000 star zone coordinates arranged in a 20x20x20 grid. Although this seem overwhelming, only a handful of star zones in each sector contain a star system. Each star system location is labelled by a series of three two-digit numbers from 00 to 19. For example, the M'Kyru Beta star system is at sector 04-04-04, star zone 06-13-18.
Star Systems: An occupied star zone is known as a star system. Star systems contain some sort of galactic phenomenon such as a sun ( with ot without orbiting planets), asteroid belt, Starbase or Outpost.
Operating Modes
Normal flight and mission operations are conducted in accordance with a variety of operating rules, determined by the current operating mode of the vessel. These operating modes are specified by the Commanding Officer, although in certain circumstances the computer can initiate Alert status. Following are descriptions of the basic operating modes:
CRUISE MODE: Normal operating condition of the vessel.
YELLOW ALERT MODE: Condition of increased readiness in which systems are brought to greater operating capacity anticipation of a potential crisis. This mode can be initiated by the Commanding Officer, Operations Manager, Engineering Chief, or Tactical Officer.
RED ALERT MODE: Condition invoked during actual or immediately imminent emergency conditions. It is also initiated during battle situations. This can be invoked by the Commanding Officer, Operations Manager, Engineering Chief, or Tactical Officer.
EXTERNAL SUPPORT MODE: State of reduced operations , mainlyinvoked when the ship is docked at a starbase and is at least partially dependent on external power or environmental support systems.
REDUCED POWER MODE: Activated when power availability or power usage is reduced to less than 26% of normal Cruise Mode load.