Academy flight trainer Academy flight training craft were types of spacecraft flown by Starfleet Academy cadet s . A type of sublight vessel was flown in the 2360s by such groups as Nova Squadron , who in 2368 attempted a highly dangerous , banned ( as of the 2260s ) five craft formation , the Kolvoord Starburst maneuver , near Titan . ( ) The Academy cadet ships were small , one - pilot , blunt - winged vessels , with a fairly flat cross - section ; pilots had to wear flight helmets . The craft were equipped with landing struts , proximity alarms , and emergency transporters . Warp - capable Federation attack fighter - type flight trainer schematics were part of an information download package aboard the . When One was assimilating as much information as he could , the flight trainer could be seen on a screen he was learning from . It was later seen when Seven used a new device on her Borg alcove to upload information directly into her brain . ( ) Appendices . Background information . Two versions of the Academy flight trainer have appeared on screen . The actual , original ships seen in " The First Duty " and the side view of the Federation attack fighter , first ( and only ) seen as an okudagram in " Drone " . The port profile of the vehicle was created by Doug Drexler and appeared in the , accompanying the main entry " Academy Flight Range " . The craft bore the registry SFA - TR4707 . On page 483 of the first volume , this particular vehicle was identified as " Locarno ' s Academy Trainer " and accompanied the main entry " Locarno , Cadet First Class Nicholas " . The Academy ' s space force consisted of at least three academy training wings headed by wing commanders . The wings were divided further into squadrons commanded by squadron leaders . For example , the Third Academy Training Wing was commanded by Captain . The Falcon Squadron , commanded by Captain , was assigned to this training wing . The operations of these wings were managed by Academy Flight Ops . Pilots who successfully completed their training were awarded the Flight Proficiency Award . Studio model . The original flight trainer , merely described as " five small SHIPS of the Nova Squadron " in scene 18 of the , and simply referred to as a " Trainer craft " by its designer , was designed and signed off on in January 1992 by Senior Illustrator Rick Sternbach . A studio model was actually built by Gregory Jein but was only seen in two brief scenes and used only in " The First Duty " . " " Greg Jein built a physical miniature about 14 " in length . There was no major CG version that I know of aside from five tiny diagramatic ships ( . . . ) " " , Sternbach remarked . The otherwise indiscernible symbol in front of the cockpit was that of from the franchise , which Jein , a fan , added as a subtle homage . A copy of the model , made by Jein for Sternbach and painted and detailed by the latter , along with five of Sternbach ' s sketches of the design , was later offered as in the " The Ultimate Sci - Fi Auction " of 26 April 2003 , estimated at US $ 800 - $ 1 , 200 , where it sold for US $ 900 . The original studio model itself , having escaped the " " and " It ' s A Wrap ! sale and auction " s , is still in the possession of CBS Consumer Products and has been on tour as a display piece , starting with the " " tour , and subsequently appearing in the " Star Trek The Exhibition " tour , as late as 2012 . Worn from years on the tours , the model was by CBS remitted into the care of ILM modeler John Goodson for some much needed restoration in 2015 . The Federation attack fighter standing in for the trainer in the " Encyclopedia " may well have stemmed from the fact that the flight trainer was mostly depicted as a computer graphic in the episode and that it was either forgotten , or not realized by the authors due to its very brief appearance that a model had actually been built . " " There was some editorial confusion over which little ship was the trainer , " " Sternbach conceded in 2013 .