Flight Control Operations

Flight Control Operations includes piloting auxiliary craft such as runabouts and shuttle craft. The supervising of all shuttle bay operations. In many ways the role acts as a 21st Century air traffic control, controlling the 'space traffic' in and around the main ship.

Flight Control Operations is a sub-department of Flight Control. Personnel wear a red Starfleet uniform and report to the Chief Flight Control Officer who, in turn, reports to the Commanding Officer or Executive Officer.

Flight control Officers are trained as shuttle pilots and as starship helm operators, on smaller ships these personnel perform a mixture of these duties.

Flight Control areas of interest

Shuttlebay

Each shuttlebay has its own operations control booth, which is supervised by an on-duty flight control officer. Each Flight Control Officer is responsible for the operations within that shuttlebay, but must report to the bridge to seek launch and landing clearance from the on-duty Operations Manager.

Auxiliary craft enter and exit the shuttlebay by a sealable entrance, this entrance will sometimes have a force field in place to minimise the amount of time it takes for a auxiliary craft to come and go without the need for decompression and pressurization of the shuttlebay, while still allowing support personnel to operate within the shuttlebay without the need for space suits.

In larger shuttlebays, maintenance bays will also be a feature as one looks about the location. In these areas auxiliary craft such as shuttles, runabouts and fighters will receive attention for maintenance, upgrades, alterations and repair. A feature of maintenance bays are the tools and equipment needed to work on auxiliary craft, shut away when not in use along with readily available emergency equipment.

On some starships where there are multiple shuttlebays, large automated lifts can convey auxiliary craft between the shuttlebays or even to and from storage.

Because of the likelihood of an emergency situation arising in a shuttlebay, each shuttlebay is equipped with emergency equipment which includes fire suppressant tools, emergency medical first aid equipment, and heavy duty space suits sometimes known as EVA suits.

Any personnel assigned duty within a shuttlebay are fully trained on emergency procedures, with regular drills commonplace under the watchful eye of the Boatswain.