Who is in charge of the shuttlebay?

[Admiral Archer]

This is a question I never thought of until now, but especially with larger ships that have multiple shuttlebays, such as the Akira and Galaxy classes, what type of personnel would be in charge of the flight deck/hangar/shuttlebay on a starship? Is there a dedicated "Shuttlebay Control Officer"? Discuss.

 

[FormerLurker]

Such an officer may be called a 'dock master' as much as any other title. But even the TOS Enterprise has to have had one, even if that position was one of many for that officer. Someone has to be directing traffic.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I'm inclined to think that the shuttlebay is normally controlled from the bridge, and is only manned when there are regular maintenance crews present, incoming shuttles, or planned shuttle launches. Otherwise, shuttlebays are the least secured areas on the ship (even a distraught commodore or a kid can steal a shuttle from one).

 

[Timo]

Actually, wouldn't it be easier to steal shuttles if the shuttlebay was not normally controlled from the bridge, but was run by dedicated personnel?

Usually, only the bridge crew has an inkling of what is really happening in the adventure of the week - and OTOH the person stealing the shuttle is a fully authorized officer who could plausibly walk in to the shuttlebay at any moment and tell the crew to prepare a craft for launch. If there's a communications lag between the two locations, then "theft" from the point of view of the shuttlebay personnel is no different from "normal operations".

In TNG at least, people are always coming and going by shuttle, especially lone bridge officers on sometimes clandestine errands that have nothing much to do with the ongoing mission of the mothership at the time. It would be tedious for the people in charge of the shuttlebay to question every departure, let alone clear it through the bridge, considering it doesn't seem to disrupt principal ship operations at all (probably no lowering of shields or dropping out of warp, even, although the evidence is ambiguous on that).

In TOS, shuttles launch much less frequently, but even there, the actual launch doesn't appear to involve too much hassle. Surprisingly given the airdates, it's not analogous to a mighty carrier carefully turning into the wind to allow the tiny aircraft to take off - a launch in TOS might go unnoticed if not for a warning light on Sulu's console. Something that harmless might really be the responsibility of "little people" who rarely interact with Kirk and his bridge team.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Gov Kodos]

Lt. Douglas Corrigan, apparently.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Actually, wouldn't it be easier to steal shuttles if the shuttlebay was not normally controlled from the bridge, but was run by dedicated personnel?

They can't be dedicated given how easily it is for anyone to steal a shuttle.

OBLIGATORY PANICKED GUEST-STAR: I'm taking a shuttlecraft. You can't stop me.

SHUTTLEBAY MANAGER: Help yourself. I don't care.

 

[BillJ]

OBLIGATORY PANICKED GUEST-STAR: I'm taking a shuttlecraft. You can't stop me.

SHUTTLEBAY MANAGER: Help yourself. I don't care.

 

[Jedman67]

Actually, wouldn't it be easier to steal shuttles if the shuttlebay was not normally controlled from the bridge, but was run by dedicated personnel?

They can't be dedicated given how easily it is for anyone to steal a shuttle.

OBLIGATORY PANICKED GUEST-STAR: I'm taking a shuttlecraft. You can't stop me.

SHUTTLEBAY MANAGER: Help yourself. I don't care.

The Flight Officer is always sick with the flu when they shoot TNG episodes

 

[T'Girl]

I do sometimes wonder if the shuttle bay is less a "flight deck" and operationally more of a "motor pool."

You're assigned (or check out) a shuttle in a similar way to being assigned a car or van.

It might be relatively easy to steal a shuttle because unless there is maintenance or some such going on, the place is usually empty of personnel.

A lot of the time the overhead lights might be switched off.

When Data suddenly depressures the main shuttle bay, with no notice to anyone in the bay, there didn't seem to be any concern about blowing a few dozen crewmembers into space. Nor do I recall any flying bodies.

 

[Timo]

When has an unauthorized person (as far as the shuttlebay team can tell) stolen a shuttlecraft?

Zero examples come to mind from TNG (Q did it twice, but he was in uniform both times!). TOS has Dr. Sevrin steal a shuttle, but only after knocking out the entire crew. Somebody Else's Team lost the shuttle flown by Lokai, and who could stop one of 'em Cheronians anyway?

In VOY, that latter argument goes for Seven in "Raven": while it could be deduced that she did not have a permission to depart, despite being crew and all, stopping her was not the sort of suicide these people signed for... That basically leaves the infamous Ferengi from "Prophet Motive".

Oh, and Harry Mudd from TAS. But both had access to the ultimate love potion...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[C.E. Evans]

When has an unauthorized person (as far as the shuttlebay team can tell) stolen a shuttlecraft?

Jake Kurland, a civilian teenager. Yar reported "an unauthorized entry" in the shuttlebay. She tried to lock the launch bay doors from the bridge, but Kurland used emergency protocols to override her.

Of course, if there had been a crew in the shuttlebay in the first place, Kurland probably wouldn't have even made it inside there, much less steal a shuttle.

 

[trekker670]

When has an unauthorized person (as far as the shuttlebay team can tell) stolen a shuttlecraft?

Jake Kurland, a civilian teenager. Yar reported "an unauthorized entry" in the shuttlebay. She tried to lock the launch bay doors from the bridge, but Kurland used emergency protocols to override her.

Of course, if there had been a crew in the shuttlebay in the first place, Kurland probably wouldn't have even made it inside there, much less steal a shuttle.

Except, he wasn't just a civilian, he was training as a shuttle pilot, so he probably would have been a familiar face around the shuttlebay and any theoretical crew members wouldn't have suspected anything unusual.

http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Jake_Kurland

 

[Timo]

...The very fact that there can be an entry that isn't authorized by the Bridge suggests that a separate Cerberus is in charge of the shuttles usually.

And that the doors aren't exactly locked. Although what door aboard a starship would be locked? It's a rare occasion that our heroes can't access a facility within their own ship at will, and such an occasion is always also an anomaly, a breach of operating protocol.

Sure, there are brigs. But those don't have doors, they have forcefields. And then there was Khan, forcing his way out of his cabin on the strength of his fingertips, suggesting it's physically impossible to actually lock the TOS cabin doors! The best one can hope for is turning off the automatic door opener.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[LadyT'Anna]

I'm inclined to think that the shuttlebay is normally controlled from the bridge, and is only manned when there are regular maintenance crews present, incoming shuttles, or planned shuttle launches. Otherwise, shuttlebays are the least secured areas on the ship (even a distraught commodore or a kid can steal a shuttle from one).

Agreed. In "The Doomsday Machine," Decker doesn't have to fight anyone once he gains entrance to the shuttlebay, and no mention is made of a hangar deck officer who has been incapacitated or is derelict. Also, there's this snippet from "Journey to Babel":

CHEKOV [OC]: Shuttlecraft approaching with Ambassador Sarek's party. Estimate arrival one minute.
KIRK: Bring them aboard, Mister Chekov.
CHEKOV [OC]: Stand by to recover shuttlecraft. Honour guard to the hangar deck.

The events of both episodes appear to establish that responsibilities for the shuttlebay/hangar deck are split between the helmsman and the navigator.

 

[T'Girl]

Decker could have simply order anyone in the shuttle bay to step to the side, or sent them on a errand.

Word of his lost of command likely wasn't common knowledge.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

The SCE/COE have a dedictaed Shuttle Control Officer on a Sabre-Class ship, so I'd assume all ships would have at least one person responsible for monitoring the facility.

On the Akira-Class, if she is more of a carrier than other classes, then she would have a substantial hangar staff including pilots, flight ops, maintenance, ordnance, etc.

 

[LadyT'Anna]

The SCE/COE have a dedictaed Shuttle Control Officer on a Sabre-Class ship, so I'd assume all ships would have at least one person responsible for monitoring the facility.

On the Akira-Class, if she is more of a carrier than other classes, then she would have a substantial hangar staff including pilots, flight ops, maintenance, ordnance, etc.

Which suggests that Starfleet learned its lesson after the misadventures with shuttlecraft aboard the NCC-1701.

 

[BK613]

During normal cruising, I wouldn't expect anyone other than maintenance to be around. What's odd about The Doomsday Machine is that the ship was in a combat situation. I would expect manning of the shuttlebay/hangar during such a crisis. Most likely, Decker commodored his way passed any opposition, relying on the fact that officers usually give rational, legal orders.

 

[C.E. Evans]

When has an unauthorized person (as far as the shuttlebay team can tell) stolen a shuttlecraft?

Jake Kurland, a civilian teenager. Yar reported "an unauthorized entry" in the shuttlebay. She tried to lock the launch bay doors from the bridge, but Kurland used emergency protocols to override her.

Of course, if there had been a crew in the shuttlebay in the first place, Kurland probably wouldn't have even made it inside there, much less steal a shuttle.

Except, he wasn't just a civilian, he was training as a shuttle pilot, so he probably would have been a familiar face around the shuttlebay and any theoretical crew members wouldn't have suspected anything unusual.

Doesn't matter how well known he might or might not have been (Kurland was actually training for the Academy Entrance Exam). According to onscreen dialogue, he still entered the shuttlebay without authorization. A case could be made that the only time Kurland was supposed to be in the shuttlebay was during his scheduled training.

I'm inclined to think that the shuttlebay is normally controlled from the bridge, and is only manned when there are regular maintenance crews present, incoming shuttles, or planned shuttle launches. Otherwise, shuttlebays are the least secured areas on the ship (even a distraught commodore or a kid can steal a shuttle from one).

Agreed. In "The Doomsday Machine," Decker doesn't have to fight anyone once he gains entrance to the shuttlebay, and no mention is made of a hangar deck officer who has been incapacitated or is derelict. Also, there's this snippet from "Journey to Babel":

CHEKOV [OC]: Shuttlecraft approaching with Ambassador Sarek's party. Estimate arrival one minute.
KIRK: Bring them aboard, Mister Chekov.
CHEKOV [OC]: Stand by to recover shuttlecraft. Honour guard to the hangar deck.

The events of both episodes appear to establish that responsibilities for the shuttlebay/hangar deck are split between the helmsman and the navigator.

Yeah, regular shuttlecraft maintenance might fall under the jurisdiction of engineering. Otherwise, the shuttlebay/hangar deck may only be manned when needed.

 

[LadyT'Anna]

During normal cruising, I wouldn't expect anyone other than maintenance to be around. What's odd about The Doomsday Machine is that the ship was in a combat situation. I would expect manning of the shuttlebay/hangar during such a crisis. Most likely, Decker commodored his way passed any opposition, relying on the fact that officers usually give rational, legal orders.

Excellent points. Excellent pun, too; I might just have to commandeer that one for myself.