No Stunts

Windshear walks in, well, struts in, and looks around. "So, you wanna learn how to pilot one of these things eh, Harrow?" he rasps in his so deep gen. grievous tone. He has a smirk on his face but underneath that bravado he's scared ... teaching someone how to pilot something like this can a lot of times end up in pain....

"Uh huh!" Harrow has already taken over the pilot's seat despite not having the slightest knowledge of simply turning the thing on... But she does recognize a radio switch and cranks up some music. "Oh wait, you like that super dark death emo stuff, don't you, here let me find your station..." She seeks to some hardcore rock and grins. "Phase one, complete!"

Windshear walks up and wishes he had a *tf* cigarette right about now (yes they are out there in TF land). He stands by the pilot's chair and looks at her, "Yes the music is supreme, but we won't need it for my instructions -- I want you to be able to hear me." He reaches over and cuts off the radio and ponders trying to get her out of the chair or not. Finally he decides to take the copilot's chair and he sits down heavily. "I show you this, you must show me something in return, Harrow."

Harrow anxiously grips the steering console and looks over, arching an optic ridge. "Hmm, what did you have in mind?"

Windshear chuckles in spite of himself, then gets serious, "I want to learn your scalpel technique to incorporate with my blade technique. I show you how to pilot a shuttle, you show me your scalpel technique."

"Ahh, sure thing Breezy," Harrow smirks, pride swelling, "Didn't think you were a fan of my style. Flattering! Yeah, just lemme' know when you'd like to train. C'mon, let's take this baby out!"

Windshear was afraid she'd push them for take off. He leans forward and points out to a set of levers and begins instructing her on them. "First you have to do preflight checks -- did you walk around the shuttle and do a visual inspection of it before you entered?" he pauses and looks at her.

Harrow drums her lips, pondering. "Looked okay when I saw it. What would I look for, asteroid chunks or something?"

Windshear stops on the preflight check before he even started and replies, "You need to walk around the shuttle, inspect the aerilons, rudders, landing gear etc. -- you have to make sure everything is ok. The last thing you want to do is get in here and take off and find out the hard way joebot smashed a container into your left pylon as you try to use it. It is standard procedure for the pilot to check out their aircraft, spececraft in this case before they board and power up."

"Hrrnn okay okay okay, here I go," Harrow gets up from the pilot's seat, hops out of the hatch and does a fairly quick check of the outermost kibble. The ailerons appeared to be functioning properly, nothing was obstructing the thrusters, and the landing gear looked clear. Harrow gives a thumbs up to the windshield, and jogs back up the ramp. "Looks okay from the outside. Did you want to take us up, and I'll watch?"

Windshear watches her and smirks, "In the future do a slower check but yes, everything is ok -- I already checked." He sets about the preflight check again and he does it slowly and explains everything hes doing to Harrow as she's watching. Well he hopes she's watching.

Harrow is watching! Really! She takes note of everything, logging away his notes and methods. "Okay, got it." Moving to sit in the copilot seat, she cranks up the radio just a teeny bit, and waits for Windy to work his magic.

Windshear double-checks the fuel gauge, "Always make sure you have enough fuel. Make sure to check your reserves -- the tanks should be full, even if its a short trip I feel its best to have enough fuel for something twice as far then to be stranded. Always checked the computer systems and check the last time they've been defragged and updated. This is very important. Lastly make sure your Autopilot and charts are up to date and functional. You never know when something could happen and you need the autopilot to get you back to base....." he goes on and on and on as he flips through switches, checks dial readings, various gauges and indicators and then with the push of a button the engines suddenly come to life with a rumble. And also periodically through this he's been back and forth with the control tower.

Harrow interjects with a question here and there, optics on Windshear's hands as they move over the consoles and switches. There was a lot to remember, so Harrow glanced at her own console and went through the motions to memorize, without actually hitting any buttons.

Windshear grabs the throttle and after clearance from the control tower per se, he lifts off and into the sky. "Watch what Im doing now, Harrow, watch the gauges and look out of the viewscreen." Right, he's asking her to do three different things at once here.

Harrow does as instructed... somewhat, looking back and forth between the gauges and viewscreen. "Right! ...Alright, pretty sure I'm clear on lifting off, can I steer yet?" Oh please!

Windshear looks at her for a long moment and then makes sure she understands the sensitivity of the wheel so to speak and how the throttle and the steering mechanisms work together, "You can take over from the seat next to me but if you get in over your head I can take it back from here." And almost reluctantly he hands over the controls to the other Seeker.

Harrow gives another valiant thumbs up to Windshear and smirks, "Slag, don't look so worried! I'm not gonna' drive us into a /moon/ or something." Taking the controls, she pulls the shuttle into a steady climb to pull out of the Earth's atmosphere.

Windshear watches her hands and looks at the gauges in front of him, "Watch your degree of climb, too much without increasing thrust and we will stall," he says.

Windshear adds dryly, "And watch out for the two bot cruisers loafing about here at this level...."

"I'm watchin' I'm watchin'," Harrow glances back and forth between the viewscreen and the blips on the radar. "What, not having fun?" she asks coyly, regarding the dryness in his tone. "I'm not doin' half bad, yeah?" She abruptly yanks the wheel into a steeper climb and pulls on the throttle.

"Watch it!!" Windshear rasps as hes planted back in his seat, "Ok...uhhh.. you aren't doing too bad but this isn't a walk in the park either! This is not like your body in jet mode -- I mean there are similarities but its not at the same time..." Ok hes rambling...wonder why..

Harrow laughs, "Sorry. Yeah, it's not the same. Hey you ain't gonna' void your tanks are you? C'mon Mr. Tolerance! Hey, should I head for a planet and try a landing?"

Windshear's optics widen at the thought of her landing right now, "Nono, that's ok... we should just practice flying for now -- look out for that bot cruiser to your port!" he pauses a beat and adds, "No, I won't void my tanks.. takes a lot to get me to surge, this won't do it... least so far..." he finishes that last part in a whisper.

"Hey... hey! Let's do some stunts, like the ones you do! I'm sure this thing can pull it off." The 'bot cruiser goes unnoticed for now as Harrow yanks the wheel once more and pulls the shuttle into a barrel roll. "Yeehaw!"

Windshear gets tumbled straight out of his seat with much metal clanging to the floor. He scrambles for the controls and hits the override and then wrestles the shuttle back level. Then he sees the bot cruiser; Steelhaven and does a hard bank to the right to avoid it. Finally he manages to sits back in his seat (he was doing all the other stuff just now on his knees). "..Harrow!" he breaths, "Not cool! You don't know enough yet to even dare do anything like that!" He's trying to yell but with what voice he has left after it was shot out that's not easy and pretty much fails, "IF this shuttle gets damaged I'm dead!"

Harrow frowns when the controls are taken away from her. "Aww... hmph." She leans back in the seat and folds her arms. "I pulled it off, didn't I? We haven't died yet... Perhaps we should move /away/ from the Autobot cruiser."

Windshear studies her for a moment, then pulls off from the Autobot shuttles. Once done and leveled out he flips a switch and motions to her, "There you go but do not do a barrel roll. Just fly and practice smooth turns."

"Smooth turns, no problem." Harrow takes the controls and does, in fact, turn the shuttle without hurling Windshear into the hull. "Very lovely, huh?" she remarks, referring to the gaseous giants in orbit.

Windshear hasn't been paying attention to anything that might be considered 'lovely' through this whole ordeal. He glances at the planet and cringes inside. "Yes, don't get too close..."

It appears to be smooth sailing from here on out. Harrow keeps her distance and simply flies in a wide circle, no destination set yet. "What should I do next?"

Windshear says "Check your fuel..." he skims the gauges and everything looks in order, he knows exactly how much they have but he's wanting to see if shes remembering to do all this stuff.

Harrow peers down at the console and tries to follow Windshear's gaze. Her optics fall on a temperature gauge, and she almost points to it, then changes her mind and points to the larger meter. "We're ... in the green! I think. Right?"

Windshear looks at Harrow and just chuckles, "I think I need to download the data files to you on this.. that's the temperature gauge not the fuel gauge..."

"Ah! Yes. That would be very helpful. Alright, you take the controls, and do a stunt!" insists Harrow, leaning back.

Windshear looks at her and resumed control of the shuttle, "Space shuttles aren't exactly for doing 'stunts', Harrow though there are some evasive maneuvers one should know but you aren't ready for that." He banks the shuttle back toward Earth and then tips on its side and guns it then drops down somewhat and levals back out. "There, that's a simple one -- used to evade laser blasts.. it works.." he looks at the readings on the control panel, "We should head back... we have been out here for awhile."