A Song of Transformation

by Honey Lavender

Prologue: A Brief History of Flight

Since the dawn of time, man has been fascinated with the sky. Specifically, however, the notion of breaking the bounds of gravity and taking flight like a bird. Like all technological innovations, it was chased with several failed attempts, leading society at the time to consider those who pursued the magic of aeronautics to be madmen.

One fateful day in 1903, however, brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the impossible in Kitty Hawk, NC, getting their Flyer into the air for a mere 12 seconds and traversing a miniscule 120 feet- less than the wingspan of a modern day Boeing 747. Condescending language aside, however, this short-lived iteration of man’s hopes and dreams proved the concept of a heavier-than-air flying machine to be a real possibility, ultimately paving the way to myriad other technological and historical achievements. The Wright brothers didn’t know it, but their proudest 12 seconds kindled a flame that led to revolutions in business and leisure travel, the art of war, and exploratory endeavors such as the Apollo 11 landing… I like to think they would be proud of that.

In the late 2000’s, the Boeing 737 became the most commonly sought-after airplane by airlines around the world for its fuel efficiency, ease of use, and overall operational cost. By 2027, the demand for new 737 pilots was so high that there weren’t enough CFIs, or Certified Flight Instructors, to go around. This is a major problem in the business of earning a Commercial Pilot’s License, as the B737, like all commercial aircraft, requires 2 pilots to operate. In response to this shortage, a think tank that happens to be a subsidiary of Space-X conceptualized a modification to the onboard Flight Management Computer, or FMC, that could take the place of the Pilot Not Flying during critical phases of flight. The modification, essentially a dumb AI of sorts, would perform duties such as callouts for the Captain of the aircraft, and remind him of steps in the checklist if he should forget and attempt to continue to a step he is not ready for. The FAA had no objection to such an innovation, so long as it went through rigorous safety testing to ensure that it would not endanger the lives of everyone in the sky.

In July of 2031, the first Solo-enabled Flight Management Computer, or SFMC, was retrofitted into a Boeing 737-300 series aircraft, and the first solo 737 flight of all time occurred. The project was hailed as a massive success, becoming a widely adopted tool by Flight Schools worldwide by the end of 2035.

One such flight school is the R. Stover Flight Academy in Portland, OR. The Stover Academy, as students call it, has a full fleet of Cessna Citation aircraft, for the private students, with its crown jewel being a trio of 737-400s that have been retrofitted with SFMCs, although the students have taken to just referring to the innovation as the FMC, despite non-modified computers still existing today, in 2037.

My name is Steve Axios, and I come from a long line of rather nondescript members of society that were never particularly good at any one thing or another. I was among the first in my family to find my niche, and the very first to earn my Private Pilot’s License, much less be accepted into a commercial flight academy. Each day that I get to fly is a gift, and a dream come true.

Or, at least it was. But don’t let me confuse you by jumping all over the place; I’ll start at the beginning, with the day that my world was turned upside down.

Comments

[jeramiahsental2]

Quite the interesting prologue! I probably should've realized it was sometime in the future from how he was able to fly the plane solo.

This definitely sets a clear picture for the background of the fic, and allows for a smooth transition into the story. Great job!

[Kusac]

Your about 15 years late on the technology. The air liners today would be flown without pilots all together if it weren't for FAA regs and human histerics. The same tech that flies drones today would be capable of flying airliners if we would let it.

[Eli the Brohoof Master]

Damn. The start is amazing!

[Something_Wrong]

Sorry dude, but if there's one thing D.C and Marvel movies taught me, it's that people named "Steve" should stay away from planes.

[Honey Lavender]

8584481
My sides... I hurt from laughing at that one. Thank you so much; I needed that bad