갈! 편대장님. 👨‍✈️

명령 확인했습니다. **<메타파일럿: 시즌 1>**의 영어 버전 번역을 시작합니다.

단순 직역이 아닌, 캐릭터의 맛과 항공 용어의 정확성을 살린 '글로벌 에디션' 원고입니다.

아래 내용을 복사하여 English Version PDF 제작에 활용하십시오.

[Book Draft] Metapilot Guide Edition (Season 1)

(Subtitle: A Mechanical Idiot Illustrator's Challenge in VR Flight / Author: Metapilot)

📑 Table of Contents

• [Character Introduction]

• [Prologue] A Blue Splash on a Grey Canvas

• [Chapter 1] The Giant Black Mass

• [Chapter 2] The Boss of Titan PC Cafe

• [Chapter 3] Build Your Own Stick, Or Just Rent It

• [Chapter 4] The Monster Behind the Secret Door

• [Chapter 5] 150GB Installation? A Test of Patience

• [Chapter 6] YouTube Teachers, Tutors, and VR

• [Chapter 7] Real Dizziness from a Fake Sky

• [Chapter 8] The Pilot with a Cast on Their Neck

• [Chapter 9] Waking the Giant with a Single Button

• [Chapter 10] The Bora Bora Checkride

• [Chapter 11] "You Passed, Pilot Kaya"

• [Epilogue] A Blue Sky on a Grey Wall, and...

[Character Introduction]

🎨 Protagonist: Kaya

• Job: Freelance Illustrator. Draws fairy tale illustrations and emotional portraits.

• Personality: Dreamt of being a stewardess as a child but forgot it due to the harsh reality. Loves flying but is a "mechanical idiot" and computer illiterate. Highly sensitive to aesthetics. A type who asks, "Can I fly through that cloud?" rather than "What does this button do?" Perseveres through physical struggles rather than technical know-how.

• Role: The reader's persona. Experiences and solves trials (installation errors, VR motion sickness, landing failures) on behalf of the reader.

• Motivation: Falls into a slump, finds the book <Metapilot>, and impulsively buys flight gear. "Just once, I want to fly with my own hands."

👩‍🔧 Guide: Tita

• Job: Owner of Titan PC Cafe. Expert at disassembling and assembling machines blindfolded.

• Personality: Blunt style. Throws fact-bombs like "You can't do anything with that graphics card," but is a reliable tech supporter who optimizes PC performance and helps set up gear.

• Role: The troubleshooter of Vol.1 (Preparation). Creates and rents out custom flight gear.

• Trait: A character with a twist charm.

🛫 Tutor: Ray

• Job: Aviation student on leave, preparing for airline entry. Knowledgeable in both theory and practice.

• Personality: Infinite Compliment Robot. Explains complex aerodynamics with sensory metaphors like "Feeling the wind with your palm." A star instructor for beginners.

• Role: Main character of Vol.2 (Basic Flight). Member of the Virtual Flight Simulation Club.

• Trait: Boosts Kaya's confidence with endless praise: "Wow! You looked like a real pilot just now!" A gentle soul who turns into a nerd with sparkling eyes when talking about aviation history. Aiming to train Kaya before she meets the strict instructor 'Siegeol'.

👨‍✈️ Flight Instructor: Siegeol

• Job: Former real-life pilot.

• Personality: Values FM (Field Manual/Standard Procedure). A disciplinarian whose opening line is, "Flight is not instinct, it is science. Do not take your life lightly just because it's virtual."

• Role: Instructor in Vol.3 (Flight Instructor).

• Trait: Handsome when angry.

[Prologue] A Blue Splash on a Grey Canvas

I draw fairy tales. But my reality is certainly not one.

[Artist Kaya, the protagonist looks too depressed in this cut. Please increase the saturation. Oh, and you know the deadline is tomorrow morning, right?]

The email from the client was dry as dust. My wrist, clutching the tablet pen, throbbed in pain. The world inside the monitor was a flower field of colorful pastel tones, but my 6-yeong (approx. 200 sq ft) studio apartment was entirely monochromatic. Grey socks drying on the rack, convenience store lunch boxes piled up for days, and my haggard face reflected on the black screen of the turned-off monitor.

I couldn't draw anymore. To be precise, I felt like I had forgotten what colors to use. I dragged my slippers and ran away from home, stepping out into the cold wind. I walked aimlessly into a bookstore.

The smell of paper. Seeing printed text made me breathe a little easier. The 'Healing Essays' in the bestseller corner offered cliché comforts, and self-help books only whipped me to work harder without any carrots. My wandering eyes drifted to the 'Technology/Hobbies' section, a place I would never normally even glance at.

Between books filled with complex circuit diagrams and rigid coding terms, one book stood out.

<METAPILOT>

It wasn't the title that stole my gaze, but the illustration on the cover. It wasn't covered in mechanical devices or binary codes. It showed a single airplane flying over a heartbreakingly blue horizon, seen through the right window of a cockpit.

In that instant, a forgotten memory flashed through my mind. The family trip when I was ten. The view I saw through the small, mirror-like window while everyone else was asleep. The roads and buildings on the ground vanished into dots, leaving a silent world where only the sky and I existed. My dream of becoming a stewardess to see that view every day had been shattered by the turbulence of entrance exams and employment.

I picked up the book as if possessed. I opened it, and a single sentence caught my eye.

"Turn your room into a cockpit and travel the world."

My eyes widened. "Turn my room into a plane...?"

"Yeah, maybe with this... could I draw again? The colors beyond those clouds..."

I had a strong premonition that if I didn't jump into the world beyond the clouds right now, my life would remain grey forever. This wasn't an impulsive decision. It felt like a response to the Mayday (distress signal) sent by my subconscious.

"Travel the world in my own plane? Sounds fun... Heh."

And so, my reckless and whimsical VR flight began.

[Chapter 1] The Giant Black Mass

"Wow... is this price for real?"

I grabbed the back of my neck seeing the total price of the flight gear in my online shopping cart. The decent ones exceeded my monthly living expenses, and the cheap ones looked like crude toys. I had made a big decision and the items were now piled up in a box in front of my door.

The delivery box was bigger than I expected. I swallowed dryly. I had ordered an expensive joystick advertised online in my haste to fly. Did I order actual airplane parts?

"Alright, shall we fly?"

Full of excitement, I cut the tape sealing the box with a cutter. But the moment the box opened, my anticipation turned into bewilderment. Inside were two clunky black plastic masses. I later learned one was a joystick and the other a throttle. But to my eyes, they just looked like 'a coiled snake' and 'an exercise stepper'.

"Ugh... it's so heavy."

Cold plastic curves, unknown red buttons, and switches were hideously attached everywhere. I sighed and opened the enclosed manual.

[System Requirement: DirectX 11, USB port required...]

"D... Diet (Direct)? What is USB? Aren't all holes the same?"

I got dizzy reading the alien language on the palm-sized manual. I closed it and started a game of 'find the wrong picture,' comparing the manual to the holes on the side of my laptop. I shoved the wires into holes that looked roughly correct.

I found an installation video on YouTube, groaned as I lifted the joystick onto the desk, and placed the throttle on the left. "Okay. Let's fly!"

Whiiiirrrr-

The laptop fan started screaming like a jet taking off. The flight screen stuttered and finally froze.

"No! My work files!!"

Forget flying; my laptop, my livelihood for illustration, was about to explode. Cold sweat ran down my back. I hurriedly turned off the computer hearing the screaming fan before the flight even started. I stared blankly at my panicked face reflected on the black screen, and suddenly recalled a signboard at the entrance of my neighborhood.

<TITAN PC Cafe>

Installing this alone was impossible. I hurriedly stuffed the expensive equipment into a shopping bag and ran out of the house.

[Chapter 2] The Boss of Titan PC Cafe

When I opened the PC cafe door, the smell of ramen and brilliant LED beams pierced my eyes. Inside the counter, a woman with short hair and sharp eyes was dismantling a computer case with a screwdriver in her mouth.

"Excuse me... Boss?"

She looked up as if annoyed.

"Use the kiosk for ramen orders. If there are no seats, you'll have to wait."

"No, it's not that..."

I hesitantly took the flight gear out of the shopping bag and placed it on the counter. Clunk. At the dull sound, the owner's eyebrow twitched. Her gaze shifted rapidly between my face, the gear, and the laptop I was hugging.

She put down her screwdriver, crossed her arms, and asked.

"Oho? Nice joystick. Planning to play some flight games?"

"Ah, yes! I signed up for flight training... but when I connected this to my laptop, the screen went black..."

I held out my laptop like I was praying to a savior. But she didn't even open it. She just stared at my laptop and let out a scoff.

"Customer. Were you planning to run a flight simulator with this 'pretty piece of junk'?"

"Excuse me? Pretty... piece of junk?"

"This is a laptop. It might have a high-spec CPU, but it uses 'integrated graphics'. Trying to run a flight simulator with this? Not gonna happen."

"T-then what do I do? I made up my mind and even signed up for the flight club education..."

Seeing my teary face, Tita sighed deeply. She pulled something out of the counter drawer and tossed it in front of me. It was a computer catalog.

"Sit down first. Before we launch the plane, we need to pave the runway. Laptops won't do; you need a gaming computer."

Her eyes flashed once more in the blue LED light. Like a beast finding prey, or perhaps an engineer looking with affection at a whimsical artist who brought flight gear in a shopping bag.

"Do... do I have to buy a new computer?" I asked, despair in my voice.

She replied, "No. If you compromise on the options, there is a way to do it without a new computer."

[Chapter 3] Build Your Own Stick, Or Just Rent It

The PC cafe boss adjusted the graphics settings of the flight simulator app installed on my laptop and said that with these settings, I could complete the monitor flight training.

I suddenly asked, "Tita... can't I just return this and fly with a keyboard? Planes move with arrow keys too." I lay prone on the counter, whining while looking at the expensive equipment I had impulsively bought.

"Whoa... Customer, playing a flight simulator with a keyboard is like playing the piano with mouse clicks. Plus, you said you're going to do VR flight? You'll crash in one minute trying to find keys while blindfolded."

"But it's too expensive! I'm going to go bankrupt trying to have a hobby."

At my scream, Tita smiled meaningfully. She groaned as she pulled a clunky brown paper box from under the counter.

"That's why I prepared this. Metapilot Special Edition."

The item from the box was different from sleek commercial plastic products. The surface had horizontal lines (traces of 3D printing), and the colors were a mix of black and dark grey. It felt like it was carved in a workshop rather than stamped out in a factory.

"What is this? What brand is it?"

"Brand? I made it myself. With a 3D printer."

"What? A 3D printer? Isn't it a plastic toy then?"

I looked at the joystick suspiciously. But... huh?

Click- The grip felt surprisingly heavy and solid in my hand. Buttons were where my thumb reached, and the trigger was exactly where my index finger landed.

"Huh? The feeling is... actually really chewy (sticky/solid)?"

"Right? Commercial products are specialized for specific models or have buttons scattered everywhere. But I designed this specifically for beginner flight training. So you can find all buttons by touch alone, even with your eyes closed."

Tita also pulled out a heavy rudder pedal. Sturdy aluminum profiles, springs, and bolts were exposed, just like things seen in a hardware store. To my eyes, it looked like 'a mechanical device made by an engineering student who lost their sense of aesthetics,' but strangely, I felt a sense of trust that it was 'gear perfectly fit for training.'

Tita mentioned that rudder pedals aren't essential equipment for the basic Cessna course.

[Chapter 4] The Monster Behind the Secret Door

As I was about to leave with the joystick made by the PC boss and the shopping bag for return, Tita called me.

"Wait. Before you carry that heavy stuff back, why don't you see the real thing?"

"Real thing?"

Tita headed to the iron door behind the counter. A red sign saying 'STAFF ONLY / No Entry' was attached to the old door. I followed her, thinking it was a ramen warehouse or equipment room.

Tita punched in the door lock code, and with a heavy clunk, the door opened.

"Welcome. To my Sanctuary."

Inside the dark room, there was a unique smell of machinery in the cool air. The smell of metal, oil, and electronic circuits.

Tita flipped a switch on the wall.

Click, clack-

As the rail lights on the ceiling turned on sequentially, I couldn't close my mouth. It wasn't a warehouse. It was a small hangar. And in the middle of the room, a giant 'Monster' was crouching.

"What... is this? A robot?"

It wasn't a simple computer desk. A metal frame painted in dull matte grey, complex instrument panels and switches, and four thick hydraulic cylinders and motors supporting the whole thing.

It was a fighter jet cockpit I had seen in movies long ago. She said it was the cockpit of an F-16 Fighting Falcon.

"This is my treasure number one. It's a Home Cockpit made to the exact 1:1 scale of a real F-16 cockpit. See the motors on the bottom? The seat moves according to the flight movement."

"Want to try? Special service for a rare customer who brought their own gear."

At Tita's suggestion, I stepped on the footrest and climbed onto the cockpit as if possessed.

"You don't have to take off your shoes."

I carefully squeezed my body into the seat. It was much narrower than I thought. The joystick and throttle gear wrapped around me on both sides of my thighs. A monitor and VR headset were in front, and heavy, gym-equipment-like rudder pedals rose from beneath my feet.

It felt strangely comfortable, like entering the heart of a giant robot.

"Okay, put on the VR headset in front of you. I'm starting the engine. Just follow instructions and don't be surprised."

Tita typed on the keyboard from outside.

Vroom- Whirrrr-

Suddenly, the vibration of motors driving under the chair was transmitted through my hips. The MFD screens in front lit up with green light. The sharp driving sound of a jet engine pouring from surround speakers hit my ears.

"Push the throttle! Full Afterburner!" She shouted.

I pushed the control lever all the way with my left hand. The runway on the screen rushed backward rapidly.

ROAAAR-!

Simultaneously with the sound of flames spewing from the fighter's exhaust on the screen, my body was jerked backward.

"Ugh!"

To simulate the G-force pushing the body back when a plane accelerates, the entire simulator tilted backward. Combined with the headset screen, my brain mistook it for real acceleration.

"Now pull the stick toward you."

The aircraft soared into the sky. The seat rattled, creating the vibration of ascent. When turning, my body leaned to one side, and when passing through clouds, I felt fine tremors.

"This is... a real fighter jet."

I murmured, looking alternately at the airport spread out below and the sky. The vibration under my feet, the resistance at my fingertips, the smell of the narrow cockpit. I, who had never flown a plane, became the first VR fighter pilot at this moment. Or maybe the second.

Five minutes felt like thirty. The aircraft landed, and with the sound of the canopy opening, the motors stopped.

"How was it? Doable?"

Tita grinned and took off my headset. Losing my sense of space for a moment, I staggered down from the cockpit. My heart was pounding fast. The afterimage of the experience was so strong that the game scenery on the PC cafe monitors actually looked fake.

"Tita."

"Yes?"

"How much... did that cost?"

At my question, Tita burst into laughter.

"Oh my, your eyes are already set too high. Let's float a Cessna first. You need a solid foundation to fly a fighter jet or a spaceship later, right?"

I looked down at the joystick in the shopping bag that looked expensive just a moment ago. Now it wasn't a simple toy. It was an 'Entrance Ticket' to the world of pilots where only a few live.

"Okay. I don't know if I can do it, but it's quite exciting. Someday..."

I turned back and glanced at the monster sleeping in the dark again. She said its name was 'Viper'. Why a venomous snake?

The iron door closed. My heart's engine had just begun to warm up.

[Chapter 5] 150GB Installation? A Test of Patience

Returning home from the thrill of Titan PC Cafe's secret attic, I was motivated again looking at my illustration work. I was ready to open the window and fly right away. But as soon as I turned on my laptop and typed 'Flight Simulator 2020' in the search bar, I fell into decision paralysis again.

"What is Steam, and what is Xbox?"

Prices varied widely. Some were around 60,000 won, others well over 100,000 won. If I hadn't rented the equipment, I would have given up flying. Without time to hesitate, I opened the 'Installation Guide' note Tita put in the shopping bag.

The note contained a solution as cool and refreshing as Tita's handwriting.

[Must Read] Read this so you don't get ripped off.

Steam? Xbox?

"If you want to own the game forever or are a 'veteran' Steam user, buy it on Steam. But for a 'beginner taster' like Kaya? Subscribe to 'Xbox Game Pass'."

'Why?'

"You might give up halfway, so it's good to buy a subscription you can cancel anytime. You know Netflix? It's the same. You can taste all simulation apps for the price of a draft beer. It's not too late to buy it later if you get hooked."

"Aha, so I can do it by subscription like Netflix!"

I slapped my knee. I was already shocked shopping for gear, so buying a difficult 100,000 won game outright was burdensome. The first month's subscription fee was even on discount.

"Alright. Let's just 'taste' it for a month." "Is it possible to go straight to completion?"

I unhesitatingly installed the Xbox app and clicked the subscribe button. Humming, I felt like a rational consumer.

Payment was done in a second. Now just the installation. But the moment I clicked the 'Install' button, I doubted my eyes.

Required Space: 152.4 GB / Estimated Time: 8 hours 30 minutes.

"One... one hundred fifty gigs? My laptop hard drive is 500GB?"

The unit was unrealistic. I heard modern games are heavy, but this was like downloading the entire Earth. I later learned I was indeed downloading terrain data for the whole world for flight.

The progress bar was slower than a turtle. 1%... 2%... 5...

The laptop fan started spinning Whiiiir-. I stared blankly at the monitor. It was already getting dark outside. No flying today.

On the desk lay the 3D-printed custom joystick Tita gave me to try. I held the joystick in my hand while downloading.

Click, click.

I pressed buttons, flipped switches, and moved the stick up, down, left, and right. The grip felt perfect. Though, my favorite color is pink.

The download bar filling up on the monitor screen felt like the process of fueling an airplane.

'Is waiting also training?'

150 Gigabytes. It was interesting to think that the sky I would fly in, the clouds, and the world's terrain were inside that massive capacity. I closed my eyes holding the joystick. The moment that gauge hits 100%. My room is no longer a 200 sq ft studio. Where shall I fly?

[Chapter 6] YouTube Teachers, Tutors, and VR

"No, the video just said 'pull'!"

I was rewatching the basic YouTube lecture for the tenth time. The instructor in the video landed gracefully as a feather, saying calmly, "When the runway fills your view, pull gently."

But my plane was different. I pulled the stick exactly the same way several times, but I either crashed into the runway or bounced back up and flew far off into the forest.

"How much am I supposed to pull? How much is 'gently'?"

I argued with the screen, but the YouTube teacher remained silent. Even digging through the comments, there were only vague answers like "Practice more," "You'll get it," "You need to get the feel." The limits of Self-study were clear.

I finally clicked the [Real-time Tutor Matching] button on the Metapilot Academy.

Among the list of waiting instructors, a profile for a tutor named 'Ray' caught my eye.

[Flight isn't hard! King-beginner specialist, I'll make you dance with compliments.]

"Compliments? That's exactly what I need right now."

I clicked the [Request Tutoring] button without hesitation. A moment later, a cheerful voice came through the headset with a Discord notification sound.

"Hello, Kaya! I'm Tutor 'Ray', here to help with your basic flight starting today."

Just hearing his voice painted a picture of a good-natured man. But my enthusiasm was already broken.

"Hello... but I don't think I can do this. There are too many numbers, I feel like I'm getting motion sickness."

"Haha, everyone is like that at first. By the way, Kaya, you said your job is an artist?"

"Yes, an illustrator."

"Then how about thinking of this instrument panel as a 'Palette'?"

"Palette?" I looked at the panel again in confusion.

"Yes. Flying is similar to painting. See the 'Attitude Indicator' here? Blue is sky, brown is ground. This is your canvas. It shows how close the plane is touching the blue paint called the sky."

Listening to his explanation, the round Attitude Indicator really looked like a canvas half-mixed with sky and ground.

"And the 'Airspeed Indicator' next to it is the speed of the brush. If it's too slow, the paint clumps; too fast, it splatters, right? Planes have a proper speed too."

"Ah..." It was fascinating. The rigid mechanical devices suddenly felt familiar, like tools used to my hand.

"How about it? Shall we draw a line on the canvas? Pull the stick very gently. Like a brushstroke."

I pulled the stick slowly as if possessed. The aircraft lifted its head gently. The blue sky in the Attitude Indicator filled the canvas.

"Great! That was a perfect curve!"

A smile spread across my face at Ray's cheer. With this person, I felt like I could fly.

With Tutor Ray's real-time coaching, it was much better. "Reduce speed now!", "A little more left!" Having someone tell me from the side was reassuring. But I still got stuck at the final moment, 'Landing'.

"Kaya, your approach altitude is too high. Can't you feel the runway is not close?"

"I don't know... I can't tell if I'm touching the ground or floating."

"Hmm... this won't do. Kaya, now is the time to use 'That Item'."

"That item?"

"There's nothing like VR for learning landing sense. Apply for 'Landing Training VR Rental (3-5 days)' right now. If you get the feel by borrowing it for just a few days, you'll be able to do it with a monitor later."

Two days later, a box with the Metapilot logo arrived. Unlike the logo, inside was a white Meta Quest VR headset made by another company. Ray helped me set up the device in time for my class, and I put the headset on.

"Wow..."

The square frame of the flat monitor disappeared, and a world where I was actually sitting in the cockpit appeared. Ray's voice came clearly through the headset.

"How is it? Do you feel the spatial sense?"

"Yes, it's amazing! I feel like I can touch the wingtip."

"Now, look at the runway again in that state. It will be different."

I stuck my head out and looked down. The runway, which was just a flat grey strip on the monitor, was now lying three-dimensionally far below.

"I see it... I can just feel how high I am and how far the runway is!"

"Right? Humans judge distance with two eyes. It's hard to feel on a monitor. Now, trust that 'sense of distance' and let's try landing again."

The engine roared, and I lowered the nose toward the runway again. This time it was different. I felt the speed of the ground approaching with my whole body.

'Still high... a little more... a little more...'

I didn't need to calculate with instruments or my head. The height and texture of the runway approaching before my eyes guided my hand.

"Now!"

I pulled the stick gently. The plane rose slightly, then Screech- With a cheerful tire sound, the plane settled on the runway. Not bouncing, not crashing, a perfect landing.

"Nice! Kaya, you looked like a real pilot just now! See? Gear matters!"

I clenched my fist at Ray's cheer. Wandering in YouTube, meeting a tutor's coaching and the weapon called VR, I finally crossed the first wall called 'Landing'.

"Thank you, teacher! I rented this for 5 days, right? I'll practice until I get my money's worth while enjoying the scenery!"

[Chapter 7] Real Dizziness from a Fake Sky

The VR headset that made me feel like a pilot just by wearing it was an amazing item that tricked me into thinking I was sitting in a cockpit.

Today is VR flight training.

I took a deep breath and put the headset on my head. As I adjusted the focus of the lenses, my narrow room instantly disappeared, and the cockpit of an old Cessna 152 wrapped around me.

"Wow..."

A gasp escaped me again. This was a different dimension from watching on a monitor. Turning my head right showed the wing beyond the passenger seat, and looking up showed blinding sunlight pouring through the sunroof. The volume of the instrument panel impossible to feel on a flat monitor, and the depth of the runway stretching far away stimulated my whole body. I felt like a real pilot.

Confidently, I pushed the throttle. The aircraft ran slowly, then quickly down the runway. As I lifted the nose, the sensation of the ground falling away was vivid. I took another deep breath and turned the stick left to attempt a turn.

It was at that moment.

"Ugh...!"

Suddenly, a discomfort like my stomach twisting hit my solar plexus. Cold sweat ran down my forehead, and the vivid scenery I was admiring just a moment ago felt like a terrible prison. It was motion sickness. A very severe one.

I hurriedly threw off the headset and slumped on the desk. The world was still, but my head was spinning like a top. A sentence written by the instructor flashed through my mind belatedly.

'It's because your eyes are flying but your ears think you're sitting.'

Was it called 'Sensory Conflict'? My eyes were sending signals saying, "My body is tilting left! We are rolling!" But the vestibular system inside my ears was sticking its butt to the fluffy computer chair and arguing, "What are you talking about? I'm not moving at all?"

My poor brain couldn't resolve this contradictory information and decided I was in a 'hallucinogenic state' or 'poisoned state', sending a command to vomit to expel the toxin. It's proof my body is healthy and normal, but the immediate suffering was unavoidable.

"I can't go on like this."

Before putting the headset back on, I turned the desk fan in the corner directly toward my face.

Whirrr-

Cool wind hit my forehead and cheeks. I went back into flight. This time, instead of the dizzyingly shaking horizon, I fixed my gaze on the stationary instrument panel and the mountain ridges far away that weren't moving.

It was fascinating.

The wind touching my face seemed to whisper to my brain, "You are flying facing the wind right now." Looking far away also calmed the dizziness.

How to overcome the real pain given by a fake sky.

It was the leisure of flying while tricking my body with 'Wind' and staring at a 'Distant Place' that doesn't shake.

Like that, I finished the VR flight adaptation training.

[Chapter 8] The Pilot with a Cast on Their Neck

"Ah, frustrating! Where is the runway?"

Practicing flight on the monitor again, I muttered in anger. When using VR, I could just turn my head to see the side, but returning to monitor flight, 'Field of View' was the problem again. My plane was like a racehorse running only forward. To see if the runway was beside me or behind me, I had to press command keys on the keyboard.

It was too uncomfortable. "It's not like I have a cast on my neck; I can't fly because I can't see the side."

VR is amazing, but my eyes feel like popping out if I use it every time (it's heavy and tiring), and my heart wouldn't allow me to buy the expensive eye-tracking device (like TrackIR) I saw at Titan PC Cafe.

Then, Tutor Ray's voice was heard.

"Kaya, did you practice controlling the view camera?"

"Huh? View?"

"That's why it's frustrating. The core of monitor flight is handling the 'Virtual Camera' well."

Tutor Ray pointed to the cone-shaped button that moves in 4 directions on the joystick head Tita lent me.

"That is the 'Hat Switch'. Think of it as the pilot's neck."

"This button?"

"Yes. You watched the Metapilot YouTube lecture, right? The joystick is already set with 3 camera view modes. Here, try pressing it."

I carefully pushed the hat switch button to the left. Then the screen turned whoosh to the left window of the cockpit.

"Okay, you understand the 1. Cockpit Camera? The pilot view is camera number 1."

"I see... so I turn the pilot's head with the hat switch."

"Now, let's learn about 2. External View? Press the external camera button."

Click.

"Then, you'll see the plane Kaya is flying from outside. How about it? It's familiar like the games you usually play, and it's your favorite scene, right?"

"Wow! Was my plane this pretty? Seeing it with the clouds, it really looks like a painting!"

"And the most important 3. Target View. It shows the airport, runway, or wherever Kaya wants to see."

As I moved the hat switch this way and that, the scenery on the screen danced freely. Even while flying looking forward, a flick of my thumb showed the scenery beside the wing, and I could see the belly of my plane. It seemed I would get used to it after a few practices.

"Kaya, view control isn't just for sightseeing."

Ray's voice became serious.

"The monitor is small, but the world changes depending on where Kaya places her gaze. And front, back, left, right, up, and down. You have to be good at this Camera Walking to draw a picture in your head of 'where my plane is and in what attitude it's floating'."

"Ah... I think I know what you mean. You mean catching the Composition?"

"Exactly! You understand quickly because you're an illustrator. Flying is done with hands, but Situational Awareness is done with this 'Camera Angle'."

As I was getting used to spinning the view with the hat switch, Ray taught me another tip.

"Now, if you're used to turning with your thumb, shall we work some magic? Do you have a Webcam at home?"

"Yes, I have one I use for Zoom meetings."

"With that and an app called 'Beam Eye Tracker', you can fly more comfortably. No need for expensive gear. It costs about two cups of coffee."

I installed the app Ray told me about and turned on the webcam. Then red dots started tracking my gaze according to the movement of my eyes and head.

"Huh? Uh-oh?!"

When I turned my head slightly to the right, the screen on the monitor also smoothly showed the right. When I looked at the corner of the screen, the view camera screen moved there too.

"Wow... this is totally amazing! I'm not using VR, but it's like VR!"

"Use the hat switch or webcam when practicing, and I recommend flying with VR for experiences or event flights."

Now I was no longer a frustrated racehorse. I checked the runway at 10 o'clock with the hat switch, naturally glanced down at the instrument panel, and occasionally slipped out to the external view to admire the 'life shot' of the plane shining in the sunset.

"Ready... Action!"

I muttered to myself and attempted a 45-degree bank turn. From now on, I could easily follow YouTube lectures. The plane moved where my gaze went, and my flight and the monotonous palette colors confined within the square frame of the monitor were expanding infinitely.

I became a pilot, and a Film Director shooting my flight vlog.

[Chapter 9] Waking the Giant with a Single Button

The Cessna 152 inside the laptop monitor was cold.

I had practiced all the basic courses and now, only training for the practical test remained. Among them was the startup procedure for the Cessna 152.

Master Switch ON, Fuel Valve ON, Mixture Rich, Throttle 1/4...

"Ha... when am I going to do all this?"

I was tired from finishing an illustration late last night. I was about to fall asleep studying before even launching the plane. I sighed and connected to the Discord channel.

"Teacher Ray, should I give up around here? My head is about to explode memorizing the startup order."

Hearing my grumbling, Ray burst into laughter 'Puhaha'.

"Kaya! Why are you buying trouble? That's what real flight school students memorize."

"What? But I have to start the engine for the practical test."

"Who are we? We are 'Metapilot'. What is the privilege of simulation? Skipping the annoying parts and picking only the easy, fun, and useful parts!"

Ray's voice was full of playfulness.

"Kaya, you're holding the joystick Tita lent you, right? Do you see the square switch button where your index finger touches?"

"Yes, I see it. It looks like a power button..."

"That is the 'Magic Button'. It ignores all complex procedures and implants the 'Auto Start' function to wake the engine in one go."

"Really? I don't have to touch the mixture or throttle?"

"Yes. That's for when you do a tutor qualification course like me. For beginners, it's exciting just to get the propeller turning. Now, don't hesitate and press it!"

I pressed the square button on the joystick half-doubtingly.

Then, a magical thing happened. The turned-off instrument switches turned on click-clack-click by themselves, the mixture lever went whoosh in, and the ignition key turned creak automatically.

Vroom-! BANG!

In just 3 seconds, the sound of the engine breathing roughly was heard. The stopped propeller spun vigorously, changing the view to semi-transparent. I could also see the instrument panel shaking from the engine vibration.

"Oh... it works! I was groaning over something so easy!"

As the propeller began to spin stably, Ray explained calmly.

"You can use this shortcut for starting. But you must check exactly two things. This is directly connected to survival."

Ray guided my gaze to a specific part of the instrument panel.

"First, look at the needle of the RPM gauge over there. If it's too low, the engine dies; too high, it jumps out. Check if it stays stable around 1,000."

"Yes, 1,000 RPM confirmed."

"Second, the Oil Press gauge visible here. The needle must come inside the green range. It's good to know as flight common sense. If the gauge is abnormal, the engine will stop in the sky. It's good to get into this habit."

"Oil pressure, green. Normal!"

"Perfect! Leave the complex stuff to the computer, and Kaya just checks the 'Health Status' of the plane. How is it, easy right?"

I stared blankly at the spinning propeller. As the stress of complex mechanical operation disappeared, the excitement of flight I initially resolved to do began again. The propeller dancing in front of my eyes seemed to beckon me, "Let's go to the sky."

"Teacher, can I fly now?"

"Of course! If you woke the engine, it's done. Now, go out to the runway and taste real freedom."

I placed my hand on the throttle lever. The airplane that felt only difficult became friendly as it moved at my will with a single button.

Metapilot? I like it very much.

[Chapter 10] The Bora Bora Checkride

#1. D-Day: Connection

"Phew..."

I took a deep breath wearing the VR headset. Afraid the joystick would slip because of sweat on my palms, I rubbed them on my pajamas. Today is finally the day of the Basic Course Completion Practical Test.

The Discord notification rang.

[Notice] Practical Test in 10 minutes. All trainees connect to 'Bora Bora' channel.

There are a total of 4 trainees participating in this evaluation including me. The instructor assigned call signs randomly.

"Trainee Kaya, your position is 'Flight 3'. Pay attention to maintaining the gap front and back."

My position is number 3. Not the leader, but not the comfortable last either. Sandwiched in the middle, I was more nervous.

#2. Runway Alignment

As the simulation loading finished, the scenery unfolding before my eyes was breathtakingly beautiful. Bora Bora airport floating in the middle of the emerald Pacific Ocean. But I had no time to admire it.

Two identical Cessna 152s were waiting with propellers spinning to my left, and one to my right. We stood side by side at the runway entrance.

Instructor Siegeol's sound voice came over the headset.

"Radio check. Report reception status starting from Flight 1."

"Flight 1, Loud and Clear."

"Flight 2, Reception good."

"Flight 3 Kaya, hear you well!"

"Flight 4, Good."

"Good. Today's practical evaluation mission is 'Traffic Pattern' and 'Formation Rotation'. Take off at 10-second intervals. Flight 1, line up."

#3. 10-Second Interval

The engine sound filled the runway. Flight 1 pushed the throttle and kicked off the runway. I counted down inside. One, two... eight, nine, ten!

Flight 2 started, and another 10 seconds later. My turn.

"Flight 3, Rolling."

As I pushed the throttle to the end, I felt the sensation of being buried in the seat (of course, it was just a feeling). As the speedometer passed 55 knots, I pulled the joystick. Vroom- The floating sensation of wheels leaving the ground. An amazing gift given by VR simulation.

Flight 2 going ahead looks small. Must not get too close, nor too far. I adjusted the gap looking alternately at the instrument panel and outside as learned from Tutor Ray.

#4. Report from the Sky

"Flight 3, entering Crosswind."

"Flight 3, entering Downwind."

I reported my position at every section and flew parallel to the runway. The sea of Bora Bora visible below sparkled like jewels, but my nerves were entirely focused on the tail of the plane ahead.

When reaching the end of the runway, the instructor's order fell.

"Flight 1, Touch and Go, then Check Turn. Move to the rear."

Flight 1, which landed first, touched the wheels to the ground as if bouncing and took off again. Then, making a large right turn, it fell behind the very end of the formation, behind Flight 4.

Now the leader is Flight 2. Next is... Me.

#5. The Moment of Becoming Leader

Flight 2 fell back, and a wide-open empty sky appeared in front of me. Now I am Flight 1, the Leader.

Suddenly, responsibility weighed on my shoulders. If I mess up the speed, Flight 4, Flight 1, and Flight 2 following me will get tangled up.

"Kaya, don't be scared. Just draw a picture in your head. Drawing a line in the sky."

I calmly turned the nose toward the runway. Final section. The runway gets bigger. With the feeling of fitting the centerline between my two legs.

Screech- With the sound of tire friction, a smooth landing. Without reducing speed, I raised the flaps and pushed the throttle again. Take off again.

"Flight 3, Nice Touch. Turn right and attach to the rear."

My heart pounded at Instructor Siegeol's short compliment (No, since he didn't point out errors, it's a compliment).

#6. Full Stop and Completion

I don't know how many laps we did focusing on control. When Flight 4 became the leader, the last command fell.

"All aircraft, Full Stop."

One by one, the planes that landed on the runway entered the parking ramp in a line. As engines turned off and propellers stopped, sighs of relief burst out in the Discord channel.

"Wow... I thought I was going to die because my hands were shaking so much."

"Flight 2, I was terrified too seeing you shake when the wind blew earlier."

People I don't know faces of, but a strange camaraderie arose just from the fact that we flew in the sky together.

"Good work. Save the flight video each of you recorded along with the 'Replay File' and submit it. Final evaluation will be sent by email after analyzing the video and logs. Dismissed."

#7. V-LOG: My First Flight Log

The evaluation was over, but my work was just starting. I uploaded the scenery I saw while flying and the movement of our formation to the editing program, in addition to the submission video.

Time to unleash the illustrator's sense. I laid background music to the engine sound and put subtitles on the urgent radio sounds. The scene of 4 planes flying in line against the sunset of Bora Bora was truly a scene from a movie.

[Video Title: Illustrator Pilot, Flying the Pacific (Metapilot 3rd Batch Graduation Flight)]

As soon as I uploaded the video to the 'Metapilot Community', comments started running.

"Wow, is this a game? Thought it was real flight..."

"That Flight 3 landing is really smooth."

"I'm going to apply for education too."

I already knew before the certificate arrived. That I am no longer a mechanical idiot illustrator in a corner of a room. Now, I am a Pilot.

[Chapter 11] "You Passed, Pilot Kaya" (Final Checkride)

The tension of Bora Bora.

"All trainees, line up on the runway."

Instructor Siegeol's instructions heard over the headset. My piloting skills polished while listening to Tutor Ray's "Good job, good job" compliments.

The day [Basic Flight Course Final Practical Evaluation] was held.

Flight with trainees I had never seen before in the paradise on earth where the emerald sea of Bora Bora in the South Pacific spreads out.

The equipment Tita lent me and the VR flight experienced for 5 days. All training courses are now over.

"Flight 3, altitude maintenance good. Report upon entering Downwind."

"Flight 3, Downwind entry. Heading 270, Speed 60 knots, Altitude 1,000 feet. Aircraft status normal!"

Instructor Siegeol's silence was a compliment. I checked the runway location with the hat switch and prepared for the landing procedure.

'Speed good, approach angle good... Now, Flare!'

I held my breath and pulled the joystick gently. The plane slid on the runway like a skipping stone grazing the water surface.

Screech-

Today, I received an email saying "Passed".

The cheers of trainees sounded distant. I threw off the VR headset without realizing and shouted hurrah. My flight that started in a 200 sq ft room, finally received recognition.

[Epilogue] A Blue Sky on a Grey Wall, and...

#1. Creator Pilot Kaya

A few days later, the scenery of my studio apartment had changed a little. It was still a narrow room, and illustrations to meet deadlines were piled up on the desk, but a new frame hung on the wall above the monitor.

[CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION]

Course: Metapilot Basic Flight (Cessna 152)

Name: Kaya

The above person has successfully completed the prescribed flight training course with excellent grades...

I looked at the frame proudly drinking instant coffee. I, a mechanical idiot and reality avoider, had accomplished something impossible to the end. That certificate wasn't just a piece of paper. It was a 'Qualification Proof' that increased the Saturation of my life.

#2. New Delivery Box

Then, the doorbell rang.

"Delivery!"

"Huh? I didn't order anything?"

Opening the door, a box sent by Tita was placed there. On the outside of the box, [Season 2. Supplies] was written crudely. An ominous premonition and excitement rushed in at the same time.

Opening the box, a manual with a rough cover different from the Cessna training manual, a new joystick module (grip), and clunky rudder pedals were inside together.

On the book cover, a propeller fighter jet spewing fire with a roar was drawn.

<The Battlefield Invites You>

#3. Peace is Over

A note with Ray's handwriting was tucked between the book pages.

"Kaya! You worked hard clearing the basics. Now the peaceful sightseeing flight is over."

"Season 2 is World War II. Flying well isn't enough. You have to chase the enemy's tail and shoot them down to survive. Haha."

"Ready? The next plane we will fly is BF-109 G2."

I looked once at the 'peaceful certificate' in the frame and alternately at the 'brutal fighter jet' picture in the box. I just learned how to fly in the sky with a Cessna. And I intended to travel the skies of world heritage sites... but a battlefield in history awaits me?

"Why me?"

A grim smile spread across my lips. I took out the fighter joystick module Tita sent and fitted it into my stick.

Clack-

A heavy coupling sound like loading a gun rang in the room. And I put my feet on the rudder pedals and moved them.

"Good. Shall I become a shoot-down king this time and challenge to become a 10 Million YouTuber?"

I put on the VR headset again.

This time it's not a blue sky. The grey sky of the battlefield where flak rains down awaits me.

- Season 1 [Basic Flight] End -

Gal! 🫡