Picard at the helm

[TroiFan4ever]

Wow... haven't been here in... forever!

Anyway. I found it interesting when Picard took the helm of his own ship in that episode... (alright, I'm gonna actually TRY to say this title) "011000100110101"

That was because no one else was there but Riker and those three aliens trying to "steal" the ship while that self-destruct thing was on.

There was a second episode where Picard was driving the ship... "Booby Trap" which I saw a few months ago. And it was to do that maneuver thing around that asteroid. Was he the only person who knew the maneuver at the time? Also what was up with the emergency lightening in "Booby Trap"?

And are there any more episodes with Picard driving the Enterprise? I think that's interesting. Anyone else agree?

Merry belated Christmas everyone.

 

[USS Kongo]

If memory serves, Picard started out as a helmsman on the Stargazer, so piloting starships should be second nature for him.

These episodes you mention are the only times I can recall Picard taking the helmsman's chair.

Sean

 

[indolover]

In "In Theory" he piloted a shuttlecraft in front of the ship, so that's a helm in a sense.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I think in Booby Trap, he just took ultimate responsibility for the ship & crew. He wasn't going to leave it up to anyone else.

The "bootleg" turn was pretty cool though.

 

[DataLoreSpock]

Time Squared.
In all technicality he was piloting shuttlecraft 5.

 

[DataLoreSpock]

Time Squared.
In all technicality he was piloting shuttlecraft 5.

 

[tighr]

Anyway. I found it interesting when Picard took the helm of his own ship in that episode... (alright, I'm gonna actually TRY to say this title) "011000100110101"

The way I remember that one is that it's the names of the 4 Bynar characters: 1-1 and 0-0, and 1-0 and 0-1. Thus, the title is "11001001".

Anyway, in "The Battle" he's technically at the helm of the Stargazer, although its accepting voice commands and he's hallucinating a helmsman.

 

[The Castellan]

Picard in "Booby Trap", feeling useless to the point and not being able to do anything, went and did what any good captain would do, get his crew to safety. Plus it's good to see the coach actually do something than simply give instructions.

 

[Trevacious]

In 11001001, he made it look so absurdly easy that I wondered what need they had for a pilot on the bridge, other than to sit around waiting for something to go wrong to the point they might just have to sit up and tap a couple more commands in.

And I recall the Captain's chair has backup con and ops controls. Hah, I'd like to have seen a Captain who preferred to do his own flying from the center seat and just dismissed the conn officer in favor of an extra science or weapons guy.

(I remember an early episode where Picard looked to his chair display to check out some sensor readings himself rather than wait to be told about them. But, after that, I can't recall him making much if any real use of the control potential he had at his fingertips. It became just another communications pad.)

 

[Timo]

When Wesley is at helm, he does a lot of anticipating and interpreting. If Picard did that, it would keep his attention away from command matters.

Why stop at burdening Picard with piloting? Why not give him control of the guns as well? Or the sensors? We know for a fact that a single person can operate the ship (at least until something goes wrong), and that this could be done in the 23rd century already. But if Picard is allowed a bunch of mechanics to repair things that quit working, why should he not be allowed a bunch of specialists to do the piloting, aiming and sensing, too?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[The Castellan]

When Wesley is at helm, he does a lot of anticipating and interpreting. If Picard did that, it would keep his attention away from command matters.

Why stop at burdening Picard with piloting? Why not give him control of the guns as well? Or the sensors? We know for a fact that a single person can operate the ship (at least until something goes wrong), and that this could be done in the 23rd century already. But if Picard is allowed a bunch of mechanics to repair things that quit working, why should he not be allowed a bunch of specialists to do the piloting, aiming and sensing, too?

Timo Saloniemi

Picard was probably yearning for a little excitement, since Riker pretty much has him confined to the ship 90% of the time....is it any wonder he wanted to pilot the Enterprise out himself? Plus he did a pretty darn good job flying that thing out of the asteroid field, and without a scratch.

I have this funny image in my head of Wesley piloting and when they finally get out of the asteroids, there's this big rock firmly lodged in the Enterprise's backside.

 

[DataLoreSpock]

Picard does spend 90% of his time in the ship.
He does persistently try to lead an away team mission.
Piloting could give him the excitement.

 

[DataLoreSpock]

Picard does spend 90% of his time in the ship.
He does persistently try to lead an away team mission.
Piloting could give him the excitement.

 

[TroiFan4ever]

I have this funny image in my head of Wesley piloting and when they finally get out of the asteroids, there's this big rock firmly lodged in the Enterprise's backside.

Then in that case, good thing Wesley didn't appear in "The Pegasus" or "Genesis".

 

[Vanyel]

Picard also had the helm in Conundrum.

 

[G2309]

Had to go to emergency lights when all the power was being drained. All that bright lighting...

 

[Bisz]

Time Squared.
In all technicality he was piloting shuttlecraft 5.

Time Squared.
In all technicality he was piloting shuttlecraft 5.

I see what you did there

 

[Holdfast]

Time Squared.
In all technicality he was piloting shuttlecraft 5.

Time Squared.
In all technicality he was piloting shuttlecraft 5.

I see what you did there

That's just too funny.