Editing Skyward Flight

{{group
|image=Skyward_Flight_by_Botanicaxu.jpeg
|type={{cat tag|DDF Flights|DDF flight}}
|leader= [[Jorgen]]
|hq= [[Alta Base]] (formerly), [[Platform Prime]]
|world=Detritus
|universe=[[Cytoverse]]
|books=[[Skyward (series)]]
}}
{{update|sky2|sf1|sf2|sf3}}
{{for|Skyward (series)#Skyward Flight Novellas|the collection of novellas between ''[[Starsight]]'' and ''[[Cytonic (book)|Cytonic]]''|pre=This article is about the [[DDF]] flight}}
'''Skyward Flight''' was a squadron of ten cadet pilots of [[Poco]]-class [[starfighter]]s in the [[Defiant Defense Force]] on [[Detritus]].{{book ref|sky1|9}} Original members of the group notably include [[Spensa Nightshade]], daughter of [[Chaser]], [[Jorgen Weight]], son of a [[First Citizen]] and a [[National Assembly Leader]], and [[Rodge McCaffrey]], the highest scoring cadet on that year's pilot test.{{book ref|sky1|9}}

==History==
===Origin===
Skyward Flight originated as Cadet Flight B, one of three training flights organized from around twenty-five students who pass the DDF pilot's test when Spensa is seventeen years old.{{book ref|skyward|7}} The training flight includes students from various backgrounds, none of whom initially seem to recognize Spensa as the daughter of a disgraced DDF pilot, with the exception of her friend Rodge (Rig).{{book ref|skyward|8}} The instructor of their class is [[Cobb]], a former pilot who acted as a wingmate for Spensa's father.{{book ref|sky1|6}} Spensa learns that Cobb had effectively circumvented the leader of the DDF, Admiral [[Ironsides]], to get her into flight school.{{book ref|sky1|8}} Spensa immediately dislikes [[Jorgen]], a fellow cadet who comes from a wealthy and influential family; due to their divergent social backgrounds and opposing attitudes regarding DDF policies and hierarchy, she nicknames him "Jerkface".{{book ref|sky1|9}} She also nicknames their squadron "Skyward Flight",{{book ref|sky1|9}} a reference to her father's tendency to focus on the sky and the stars beyond.{{book ref|sky1|23}}{{book ref|sky1|prologue}} 

===Training===
The members of the team begin training on holographic simulators colloquially known as "mockpits".{{book ref|sky1|9}} Most of the cadets have no background as pilots.{{book ref|skyward|9}} After one day of training, Ironsides deploys the squad as decoys due to a shortage of available starfighters,{{book ref|sky1|10}} and they are unexpectedly attacked by a [[varvax|Krell]] ship.{{book ref|sky1|11}} The brief dogfight causes Rig to quit flight school, telling Spensa that it was not really his dream and that he is not suited for flight.{{book ref|skyward|13}} Meanwhile, Ironsides has made it clear that she is opposed to Spensa's presence in flight school and does not allow her access to any of the facilities, forcing Spensa to sleep in a cave every night and scavenge for her own food.{{book ref|skyward|13}}

Cobb delays practice with weapons to focus on ship control,{{book ref|skyward|13}} and the cadets steadily gain skill through both simulations and actual flights in their Pocos.{{book ref|sky1|23}} Cobb's methods are unusual among flight instructors, but the members of Skyward Flight later realize that he has made them more skilled than some pilots in other more experienced flights.{{book ref|sky1|46}}

===Losses===
In one of the Flight's first true fights since their first day of training, [[Morningtide]] is shot down by three Krell ships trailing her. In the same battle, [[Bim]] is killed trying to go after a [[lifebuster]] when its escort peels away and destroys his ship.{{book ref|skyward|19}} During what was supposed to be a mission surveying falling debris, [[Nedd]] recklessly follows two members of [[Nightstorm Flight]] into a falling [[C-137-KJM orbital shipyard]], trailed by Spensa. Nedd and Spensa barely escape the massive shipyard before it crashes to the ground, but the two Nightstorm pilots were killed.{{book ref|skyward|26}} The pilots were actually both Nedd's brothers, which caused him to stop showing up to class due to emotional trauma, until he is officially removed from flight school.{{book ref|skyward|27}}

The relationships between the members of the flight continue to evolve as they experience hardships and gain each other's trust. Although [[Hurl]] reacts negatively when Jorgen reveals that Spensa is Chaser's daughter,{{book ref|skyward|21}} she later realizes that it was unfair to judge Spensa on her family, and the two become friends.{{book ref|skyward|28}} Spensa is brought to tears when the other girls secretly procure some real food for her and offer her a place to sleep in their dormitory.{{book ref|skyward|27}} She also begins to understand that other cadets such as Jorgen have baggage that comes with their privilege.{{book ref|skyward|41}}

During another battle, [[Hurl]]'s shield is brought down in a dogfight. [[Kimmalyn]] tries to shoot down one of Hurl's tails, but her usually perfect aim fails her in the heat of the moment. Hurl is hit by a Krell fighter and goes into an uncontrolled descent.{{book ref|skyward|32}} Jorgen tells Hurl to eject, but she refuses, attempting to be brave and safely land the ship. Although she nearly succeeds, she is killed in the crash.{{book ref|skyward|32}} The next day, Kimmalyn tells the flight that she is holding them back, and quits.{{book ref|skyward|33}} Later, the flight accompanies [[Blaze]] on a scouting mission, and when they report back to Cobb to debrief, Arturo's mother is there waiting for him, and pulls him out of flight school.{{book ref|skyward|41}}

===Final Battle and Disbanding===
Shortly before graduation, the remaining members of Skyward Flight are assigned to fly with [[Nightmare Flight]], an established group of full pilots.{{book ref|sky1|46}} After some friendly back-and-forth that includes Spin and FM showing off their maneuvering skills, the group sees the other half of the C-137-KJM orbital shipyard falling through the debris field.{{book ref|sky1|46}} They are spotted and engaged by the Krell who are patrolling it.{{book ref|skyward|46}} [[Bog]], a member of Nightmare Flight, has his shield brought down, and Spensa, Jorgen, and FM fly to his rescue. Spensa picked up a tail, had her shield brought down, and was hit; she ejected, losing her ship, and was later formally dismissed from flight school.{{book ref|skyward|47}}

The two remaining members of Skyward Flight, Jorgen and FM, graduated and became full pilots. The flight was then disbanded, as Jorgen and FM were forced to immediately join full DDF Flights to fight in the [[Battle of Alta Second]].{{book ref|sky1|48}} Mongrel, Spin, Amphi, Quirk, and Nedder also participated in the battle, although they did so outside of the DDF's authority.{{book ref|sky1|51}}{{book ref|sky1|52}}

=== Reformation ===
After the Battle of Alta Second, Skyward Flight was reformed. Jorgen and FM were transferred back to Skyward Flight; Nedd, Arturo, Kimmalyn, and Spensa were recalled to active service; and the veteran pilots [[Catnip]] and [[T-Stall]] as well as the cadet [[Sadie]] were added to the flight to fill in some of the gaps in the flight's roster.{{book ref|sky2|3}}{{ref|group=fn|text=When [[Alanik]] arrives on Detritus, Spensa notes that there are nine members of Skyward Flight,{{book ref|sky2|8}} but during the tryout for the [[Superiority]]'s Delver Resistance Project she notes that the flight usually had ten members.{{book ref|sky2|14}} Assuming both of these statements are accurate, the ship lost in the battle at Detritus right before the Superiority's capital ships arrived{{book ref|sky2|2}} may have been from Skyward Flight as well.}} Jorgen continued to serve as flightleader,{{book ref|sky2|3}} with Arturo and Nedd as his first and second assistants respectively.{{book ref|sf1|3}}{{book ref|sf1|16}} Since the flight's reformation, its pilots have changed flight numbers several times.{{book ref|sf1|1}} In particular, around the time of Spensa's mission to [[Starsight (station)|Starsight]], Sadie had the designation Skyward Nine{{book ref|sky2|2}} and FM had the designation Skyward Five.{{book ref|sf1|1}} During the flight's mission to [[ReDawn (planet)|ReDawn]], [[Alanik]] flew with Skyward Flight and was given the designation Skyward Eight;{{book ref|sf2|7}} she also continued flying with them on their mission to [[Evershore (planet)|Evershore]].{{book ref|sf3|5}} After the mission to Evershore, Jorgen was promoted to vice admiral and FM accepted command of the DDF's diplomatic efforts, thus removing both of them from the flight. With their departure, Arturo likely became the new flightleader.{{book ref|sf3|epilogue}}

==Members==
=== Cadet Flight ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;"
{{row| Skyward Flight Members | pre=! colspan=4 style="background:#CCCCFF; font-weight:bold; text-align:center" {{!}} }}
{{row| Name | Callsign | Flight Number | Outcome | pre=! style="font-weight: bold;" {{!}} }}
|-
| [[Matthew Cobb]]
| Mongrel
| Instructor
|
|-
| [[Jorgen Weight]]
| Jerkface
| Skyward One
| Graduates; joins [[Riptide Flight]]
|-
| [[Nedd Strong]]
| Nedder
| Skyward Two
| Expelled due to truancy after his brothers' deaths
|-
| [[Hudiya]]
| Hurl
| Skyward Three
| Killed in action
|-
| [[Rodge McCaffrey]]
| Rigmarole ("Rig")
| Skyward Four
| Quits
|-
| [[Arturo Mendez]]
| Amphisbaena ("Amphi")
| Skyward Five
| Honorably retired from service
|-
| [[Kimmalyn]]
| Quirk
| Skyward Six
| Quits
|-
| [[Magna]]
| Morningtide
| Skyward Seven
| Killed in action
|-
| [[Bim]]
| ''No callsign''
| Skyward Eight
| Killed in action
|-
| [[Freyja Marten]]
| FM
| Skyward Nine
| Graduates; joins a scout flight (likely [[Ranger Flight]])
|-
| [[Spensa Nightshade]]
| Spin
| Skyward Ten
| Dismissed and placed into reserve service after ejecting
|}

=== Veteran Flight ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;"
{{row| Skyward Flight Members | pre=! colspan=3 style="background:#CCCCFF; font-weight:bold; text-align:center" {{!}} }}
{{row| Name | Callsign | Flight Number | pre=! style="font-weight: bold;" {{!}} }}
|-
| [[Jorgen Weight]]
| Jerkface
| Skyward One{{book ref|sf1|10}}
|-
| [[Nedd Strong]]
| Nedder
| 
|-
| [[Trey]]
| T-Stall
| 
|-
| [[Corbin]]
| Catnip
| 
|-
| [[Freyja Marten]]
| FM
| Skyward Five{{book ref|sf1|1}}
|-
| [[Kimmalyn]]
| Quirk
| 
|-
| [[Arturo Mendez]]
| Amphisbaena ("Amphi")
| 
|- style="font-style: italic;"
| [[Alanik]]{{ref|group=fn|text=Flies with the flight during its mission to [[ReDawn (planet)|ReDawn]], during which she is given the designation Skyward Eight.{{book ref|sf2|7}} It is possible this designation was previously held by a DDF pilot.}}
| Angel
| Skyward Eight{{book ref|sf2|7}}
|-
| [[Sadie]]
| Sentry
| Skyward Nine{{book ref|sky2|2}}
|-
| [[Spensa Nightshade]]
| Spin
| Skyward Ten{{book ref|sky2|2}}
|}

== Notes ==
;Footnotes
<references group=fn />
;References
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{{Skyward}}