Building Update on the Lakeview Academy's USS "A" and USS "B". InfiniD's New Starship Bridge Software. The Phoenix Whites and Cobra Squadrons Tackle Round 4. Theater Imaginarium.

     My trip to the Lakeview Shipbuilding Yards in Saratoga Springs was uneventful. I departed Renaissance Academy on the 5:00 P.M. shuttle and reached the yards thirty minutes later despite heavy traffic. I had an assignment from myself to update The Troubadour's readers on the progress of Earth's next two great starships still under construction; the USS "A" and the USS "B".  The A and B reference their construction yards. Perhaps Commander Rick Veasey, commandant of the Lakeview Shipbuilding Yards, hasn't come to a decision on the ships' names. If that is the case, I have a modest suggestion. The USS Victor and the USS Williamson.  Both names sound as grand as the Titanic and the Lusitania.     
             

     Here we are standing inside the departure lounge. The entrances to A and B are on the far opposites with the Control Rooms' entrance in the center.  Large turning doors will fit perfectly into the entrances.

      The foyer to the bridge

     The back of the bridge.  The ships are identical in layout. Security will reach their balcony station by ladder. From security you can step up to an engineering anteroom.  A small sickbay is located directly beneath the security station.  

     The ceiling framing is underway in one ship.

the front of the bridge showing the main viewer's nest.

     The open ceiling will display stars. An exciting effect surely to be appreciated by the ships' crews.
     The USS A and B will be open for the start of the school year in August.  Along with the USS Leo, Lakeview Academy will have three simulators, placing it right behind the Space Center at Central School in the numbers of students it can fly at any one time.  Their opening will bring the number of starship simulators in Utah County to fourteen (two of the fourteen are mobile): InfiniD Simulators: 8. Space Center Simulators: 4. Farpoint Simulators (Renaissance Academy): 1.  IWorlds: 1.    
     Lakeview Academy will open its starships for school field trips during the 2015/16 school year.

InfiniD Demonstrates the Company's Newest Simulator Controls

      Last Friday I was invited to a sneak peak of InfiniD's newest software - a fully functioning starship bridge program. Casey Voeks, Skyler Carr, Brandon Wright, and Rick Patterson hosted the event at Lakeview Academy in Saratoga Springs for myself and a select group of folks representing Telos Academy in Orem. Was I impressed?  Was I speechless?  Did I need to sit down and ask them to pause for a moment so I could absorb the avalanche of data, screens, buttons, dials, switches, levers, panels, alerts, grids, numbers, fields, and overall sophistication?  Yes, Somewhat - but me being short on words would require a level of complexity mankind is currently unable to conjure, No, I didn't need to sit down to take it all in. I needed to sit down because the controls are so impressive, the demo was going longer than my legs would tolerate. Remember, I've got a sixth grade class I chase around all day long.
     The InfiniD controls are outstanding. What a difference they will make in the art and science of experiential education.  What impressed me the most was the options given to flight directors. New, inexperienced flight directors, can choose a friendlier setting with a high degree of automation. Experienced veterans of the Flight Director Arts can choose an advanced level giving them more control of a mission's parameters.
     The new controls will be operational in all InfiniD simulators next week.             

The Voyager Club's Phoenix White and Cobra Squadrons Tackle the Long Duration Mission's Fourth Round.  

This week saw two of the Voyager Club's six squadron's take on the fourth round of the this school year's Long Duration Mission. 

     The Phoenix White Squadron, led by long time space veteran Captain Ed Goebels, made it through with a few bumps and bruises and all the wiser. Three members of the squadron couldn't make the mission leaving seven to do the job of ten. 
     We had a first on Thursday with the Whites. They were the first squadron in LDM history to be targeted by the evil Dominion AFTER the mission ended. During the post mission debriefing the school was rocked by a large BOOM followed by a blackout. The Discovery Room's emergency lights came on. 
     "Curse You Dominion!" shouted Captain Ed.  
     The Dominion strike darkened the school and the neighborhood; bad luck for the Odyssey and Phoenix. Both were flying private missions at the time.  

Connor giving a short lecture on attention to detail

     The Cobra Squadron flew their fourth round on Saturday.  Their numbers were down as well. Andrew and Alex from the Tiger Squadron and Zach from the Phoenix Gray Squadron came to their aid and helped them succeed.  

The Cobra Squadron with guests giving a thumbs up to a job well done.  It was intense. It was hectic. It was exciting. It was exactly what you get with a Cobra mission. 

Sunday's Theater Imaginarium