"Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry served in the Pacific theatre.Courtesy: Roddenberry Foundation
Key Takeaways:
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's extensive background as a pilot and aviation accident investigator profoundly influenced the franchise's development.
The series incorporated numerous direct aviation references, from ship designs and insignia to on-screen props and navigational concepts.
Many Star Trek actors were accomplished real-world pilots, and the Space Shuttle Enterprise was named in direct response to fan campaigns.
The article highlights the enduring mutual influence between Star Trek and real-world aerospace, extending to modern astronauts and actors embarking on actual spaceflights.
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.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
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.
