The responsibility for actual piloting and navigation of a starship lies with the Flight Control Officer, or "Conn". Receiving instructions directly from the commanding officer, the Conn's duties include:

Navigational references and course plotting, supervision of automatic flight operations, manual flight operations, positive verification, and acting as Bridge liaison to the engineering department.

While these functions are heavily automated, their importance to the safety of the ship and the missions at hand demands that an officer be assigned to oversee the Conn at all times.