"Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry served in the Pacific theatre.Courtesy: Roddenberry Foundation
Key Takeaways:
Gene Roddenberry's extensive background as a pilot, including military service and commercial aviation, deeply influenced the creation and design elements of the Star Trek franchise.
The Star Trek universe features numerous direct aviation parallels, from ship designs and navigational systems to specific props and the triangular Starfleet insignia.
Both Star Trek cast members, such as Leonard Nimoy and Michael Dorn, were accomplished pilots, and the franchise has significantly impacted real-world space exploration, including the naming of the Space Shuttle Enterprise and inspiring astronauts.
If you are a “Star Trek” fan, you probably remember where you were on September 28, 1987, when “Star Trek: The Next Generation” premiered. STNG, as it is known among the fans, was the second live-action series created by Gene Roddenberry.
Roddenberry was a pilot, and as such the “Star Trek” franchise is peppered with references to terrestrial aviation.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
