Airship Captain
"The power to point and go anywhere I desire, to ride the clouds as the wind whips my hair about, to look down and see the world just pass me by in a moments notice. This is how travel was meant to be, and how exploring should be. This will not be the last time I feel this way. Also important note, stealing captains hat does not make you the captain."
-Excerpt from a journal by a J. Waylan
Career
Qualifications
Becoming the captain of an airship is a difficult endeavor. You must know basic airship engineering supplemented by a good understanding of airship maneuverability and physics. Ontop of it all, having keen judgement and the ability to assess the situation in an instant is required when you are in the air. While airships are fairly common in the world they are tremendously expensive to build, much less maintain. Few private citizens actually own one and most are used in for shipping or to bolster defense forces.
Career Progression
In the @Kelsh Empire, becoming a captain means to excel through the Kelsh Sky Force and proving yourself through exemplary service. Working your way up from skyman to captain is not an easy feat. Normal rank progression stops at commander for most seeking to advance up the officer chain. If you are skilled, and lucky, enough to gain the rank of captain then you will most likely be given a ship to command. From there it is only upwards in the empire.
The @Vudra Trade Empire's @VADF works in very much the same fashion but because of its size, captainship is the highest rank one can achieve. Making it extremely coveted among the officer class. Only 48 captains currently exist in the @VADF.
The @Gnam Border Fleet is much more free with their structure as captainship is traded back and forth between officers as necessity dictates it. Crews are more or less permanently stationed aboard their airships for the entirety of their military careers. Officers are sent to where their expertise is needed the most so being a captain is more about who is currently in charge of a vessel.
Inside the commercial sector, being given command of an airship transport or cargo vessel is seen as a supreme sign of trust. With the cost of purchase and operating them so high, it isn't unusual for owners of smaller business to operate them until they can find someone they trust to be left in charge of them. For the larger companies, special training is normally given to potential or newly hired captains. But it still takes at least a year for them to be given command of a ship of their own.
Payment & Reimbursement
Being an airship captain is a well paying job no matter who you do it for. As a military captain you can expect anywhere from 400-500 debt a week while trade captains can earn between 1200-1500 debt a week. Most trading vessels are given supplies and a travel stipend to be used at the captains discretion.
Though the job pays extremely well, the financial responsibility of losing a ship by any means is directly burdened upon the captain. In the military it will mar your record if it happens in battle. But in the commercial sector it means the captain will have to find some way to pay off the loss.
Perception
Social Status
Being hired as a captain marks you as several things to others. Trustworthy, influential, adventurous, experienced, and well traveled. Being given the ability to command such a powerful and costly vehicle automatically draws eyes of admiration, and sometimes jealously. Though if you are a captain who lost their ship, either through an accident or their superiors revoking their privileges, they are seen in the exact opposite light. Dangerous, irresponsible, foolhardy, and reckless.
Demographics
Humans and Gnomes make up the majority of airship captains because of the nations involved in building and utilizing them. Though the job is slowly becoming more diverse as halflings, elves, and even dwarves and making their way into the reimagined trade industry.
Operations
Provided Services
While shipping is a large majority of airship use right now, some people are beginning to allow passengers to travel along with them. There is even a single pleasure cruise ship called the Skipping Sapphire who's sole design is to transport passengers across the oceans.
Dangers & Hazards
Weather is the biggest danger to the ship, and by extension the captain. Wind currents can change drastically throwing the ship around and potentially knocking the crew overboard. Storms pose a danger as lightning strikes could upset the core of Arcane Airship and trigger an internal explosion. Piracy is not a huge problems as not many criminals have managed to get themselves airships to use. However docked ships need to be especially careful of thieves.
Type
Transportation
Related Vehicles
