Academy flight training craft are types of spacecraft flown by Starfleet Academy cadets.
A type of sublight vessel was flown in the 2360s by such groups as Nova Squadron. (TNG: "The First Duty")
The Academy cadet ships were small, one-pilot, blunt-winged vessels, with a fairly flat cross-section; pilots had to wear flight helmets. The craft were equipped with landing struts, proximity alarms, and emergency transporters.
Warp-capable Federation attack fighter-type flight trainer schematics were part of an information download package aboard the USS Voyager. When One was assimilating as much information as he could, the flight trainer could be seen on a screen he was learning from. It was later seen when Seven used a new device on her Borg alcove to upload information directly into her brain. (VOY: "Drone", "The Voyager Conspiracy")
Appendices
Appearances
- TNG: "The First Duty"
- DS9:
- "Favor the Bold" (display graphic)
- "Sacrifice of Angels" (display graphic)
- "Tears of the Prophets" (display graphic)
- VOY:
- "Drone" (display graphic)
- "The Voyager Conspiracy" (display graphic)
- "Life Line" (display graphic)
Background
Two versions of the Academy flight trainer have appeared on screen. The actual ships seen in "The First Duty" and the side view first seen in "Drone". The side view created by Doug Drexler was first used in Star Trek Encyclopedia in an article about flight trainer craft.
The Academy's space force consisted of at least three academy training wings headed by wing commanders. The wings were divided further into squadrons commanded by squadron leaders. For example, the Third Academy Training Wing was commanded by Captain David Livingston. The Falcon Squadron, commanded by Captain Brad Yacobian, was assigned to this training wing. The operations of these wings were managed by Academy Flight Ops. Pilots who successfully completed their training were awarded the Flight Proficiency Award. [1]
Studio model
The original flight trainer, referred to as a "Starfleet trainer", was designed and signed off on in January 1992 by Rick Sternbach.[2] A studio model was actually built by Gregory Jein but was only seen in one brief scene and used only in "The First Duty"."Greg Jein built a physical miniature about 14" in length. There was no major CG version that I know of aside from five tiny diagramatic ships(...)", Sternbach remarked.[3]
A copy of the model, made by Jein for Sternbach and painted and detailed by the latter, along with five of Sternbach's sketches of the design, was later offered as Lot #298 in the The Ultimate Sci-Fi Auction of 26 April 2003, estimated at $800-$1,200, where it sold for $900.
As per 2009, the studio model itself, having escaped the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection and It's A Wrap! sale and auction -auctions, is still in the possession of Paramount Pictures and has been on tour as late as 2008.[4]