Special Maneuvers

The following is a list of special maneuvers a vessel's Helm Officer may attempt in order to line up the ship for a Attack Pattern or an Evasive Maneuver. Ranging in levels of complexity, some of these maneuvers can be performed in most Star Fleet vessels, while others should only be attempted by experienced officers at the helm of starships with high maneuverability ratings.

Direction Changing Maneuvers

• Sulu Loop: Often referred to by pilots as "s-looping" or "slooping", the Sulu Loop is ideal for a ship quickly turning around and returning to the fight. The Sulu Loop involves banking the ship to one direction, before using attitude thrusters to rotate the ship 180° along its axis so ultimately it has changed its heading by 225°. Due to the stresses performed on the spaceframe during this maneuver, especially at greater velocities, it is not recommended to attempt this maneuver in anything larger than a Light Cruiser.

• Tellar Roll: Often referred to by pilots as "t-rolling" or "trolling", the Tellar Roll involves turning a ship 90° hard to port or starboard, while using maneuvering thrusters to rotate the ship a further 90° so the vessel is now facing the direction it had been approaching from, but to the right or left of its original vector. The Tellar Roll was named for its use in the Battle of Tellar, when XF-2 Strike Fighters under the command of Commodore Paul Braggins used the tactic to defeat numerically-superior Tellarite A-1 Heavy Fighters. Due to the stresses performed on the spaceframe during this maneuver, especially at greater velocities, it is not recommended to attempt this maneuver in anything larger than a Light Cruiser.

Velocity Changing Maneuvers

• Reverse-Impulse Hop (Variant 1): Variant 1 of the Reverse-Impulse Hop is used as a counter to a breaking maneuver, allowing them to retain the advantage in a turning engagement. As the defending vessel goes into a breaking turn, the attacker would pull "up" above the opponent and decelerate; as the defender finishes its turn, the attacker would drop back down in the aft arc, having performed an exaggerated hopping maneuver. The tactic can be difficult to execute in that it requires split-second timing and a degree of intuition in the attacking pilot; enter the maneuver too early and the defender would simply loop back around and gain the advantage, too late, and the attacker risked overshooting the target.

• Reverse-Impulse Hop (Variant 2): Variant 2 of the Reverse-Impulse Hop is relatively simple and is often used by vessels with weaker rear weapons who are the defender in a stern chase. The defending vessel reduces speed sharply, reversing thrust if necessary, and uses maneuvering thrusters to "bounce" their ship "up" or "down" relative to its line of travel in order to cause the attacking craft to overshoot. If successful, the vessel is now the attacking craft, and is able to bring its forward weapons to bear on the target.

Formation Maneuvers

• Yeager Loop: The Yeager loop was a starship maneuver that was typically performed by five ships. The ships performing the maneuver began in a diamond slot formation. They then climbed and looped backwards at a steep angle and at the peak of the loop, turned over and accelerated in a new direction. This maneuver was originally known as the Immelmann turn.

• Kolvoord Starburst: A Kolvoord Starburst was a dangerously complex flight maneuver performed by light spacecraft, considered one of the most spectacular feats of precision flying. A wrong move during the maneuver, even a slight one, could lead to a catastrophic collision. The maneuver was performed by five light spacecraft flying in a circular formation, following with them crossing within ten meters of each other and flying off in the opposite direction, while opening their coolant interlocks and igniting their plasma trails as they make the crossover. When done successfully, the maneuver created a spectacular light pattern resembling a five-pointed star.

Following the deaths of five Cadets in the 2260s and another Cadet in 2368, this maneuver is banned by Federation Officials.