When Picard Takes Control ...

[Captain Martin]

I can think of two instances ... One in boobytrap where Picard takes the helm and pilots the ship out of the asteroid field and "slingshots" the enterprise around the last one when they ran out of inertia to safely clear the area ...

The other is in the episode "In Theory" Where he pulls rank on Riker and pilots the shuttle in front of the enterprise to safely guide it out of the nebula ... what confuses me about this is that Riker is one of the best pilots on the ship but picard says that he believes the best chance of escaping the nebula is that if he pilots the shuttle. Does anyone know why he said this or believed that he had to pilot the shuttle in this case?

 

[Red Ranger]

Well, it seems many starship captains start out as good, if not excellent, pilots. I'm sure Picard, in his day, was a hotshot pilot like Riker. Picard was also, In Theory, probably just pulling rank, too, as it has its privileges.

I only recall one other time Picard took the helm, albeit briefly, in 11001001. When he and Riker regain control of Enterprise, he sets the course for the ship to return to Starbase 74. He says to Riker it's been a while since he's been at the helm, "But not to worry, Number One. You're in good hands." Then, for perhaps the only time, he tells himself to "Engage."

Red Ranger

 

[Xerxes1979]

Actually I think you are missing an episode. I can clearly remember an episode where Picard takes the conn and says something like..."its been a while" and enters a course heading very slowly.

I know it is not from Booby Trap because it was under normal lighting conditions, not red alert.

I don't have time to hunt down the episode right now.


(On Edit) It is indeed 11001001

 

[WillsBabe]

Does anyone know why he said this or believed that he had to pilot the shuttle in this case?

Is this the episode with the gravity pockets, or whatever they're called? I think he wanted to pilot the shuttle for a number of reasons. I think the main one was because there was a great deal at stake: the ship. If anyone was going to lead it to its disaster it was its captain.

Actually I think you are missing an episode. I can clearly remember an episode where Picard takes the conn and says something like..."its been a while" and enters a course heading very slowly.

This is the one that I remember, too.

 

[willg]

There's that episode where their identities get wiped and they don't know their positions, but still retain the knowledge, Picard felt naturally like a pilot in that episode until they pulled up the main computer and it was determined that he was CO.

 

[Alrik]

^
That Ep was called Conundrum

Actually I think you are missing an episode. I can clearly remember an episode where Picard takes the conn and says something like..."its been a while" and enters a course heading very slowly.

I'm pretty sure you are talking about the already mentioned 11001001.

 

[Praetor]

He also piloted the shuttle in 'Insurrection' chasing Data. And wasn't there an episode where he flew a shuttle with Wesley, or was Wesley flying it?

 

[Sovereign_One]

Wasn't Picard a pilot/flight controller for one of his first assignments?

 

[WillsBabe]

He also piloted the shuttle in 'Insurrection' chasing Data. And wasn't there an episode where he flew a shuttle with Wesley, or was Wesley flying it?

Is it Samartian Snare, where he's off to have his heart service-checked? There's a nice scene in the shuttle between Picard and Wes, if it's the episode I'm thinking of.

 

[Anwar]

Yeah, Picard was talking with Wesley over his bionic heart. It was nice how "Tapestry" kept all of that and even expanded on some of what he was talking about.

 

[Tomalak]

Wasn't Picard a pilot/flight controller for one of his first assignments?

I thought he was the helmsman on the Stargazer when he took command. That could be "non-canon" though.

 

[Xerxes1979]

It was all Picard in that Type-7 shuttlecraft in Q Who.

 

[Praetor]

Good catch, Xerxes. Picard could have no doubt have piloted the shuttle somewhere even though he was so far from the ship.

He also piloted the shuttle in 'Insurrection' chasing Data. And wasn't there an episode where he flew a shuttle with Wesley, or was Wesley flying it?

Is it Samartian Snare, where he's off to have his heart service-checked? There's a nice scene in the shuttle between Picard and Wes, if it's the episode I'm thinking of.

That was it! Thanks, WB. It's been so long since I've seen that one.

Yeah, Picard was talking with Wesley over his bionic heart. It was nice how "Tapestry" kept all of that and even expanded on some of what he was talking about.

Totally agreed.