I am not sure I agree with always changing Helm Officer and Conn Officer to refer to "flight controller" - for example, on the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) page where it was just changed. Even if this is the official title of the position in today's navy, do we know that this is also the name of the position in Trek? After all, people are often referred to as "the alpha shift conn officer" and such. Is it just an assumption that they "really mean" flight controller? Or is this something more substantial? Jdvelasc 16:59, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

Considering I cannot recall a single instance where "flight controller" was used in an episode of any series nor in any movie, I'll have to agree that the single sourcebook reference is not enough. The established terms are "helmsamn" and "conn officer". "Flight controller" might be used in describing or defining those terms, but it should not replace them.--Emperorkalan 17:13, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual established that, by the time of TNG this position was officially called "flight controller". "Conn" is established there to be short for "flight controller"... Conn was used onscreen in "Encounter at Farpoint" (and in the novelization) to refer to O'Brien, as well as in the "Naked Now", etc..

"conn officer" seems to be a misnomer -- as you don't need to be an officer to occupy this post.

I think we need to take a closer look at our source material -- when in film, novel, comic or manual have the terms "flight controller", "conn" and "conn officer" been used to describe this position? (as i can't remember any instances of "conn officer" being used often onscreen either -- just "conn")-- Captain M.K.B. 17:20, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

Is this the kind of example you have in mind? "She could have assigned the beta-shift conn officer to pilot the Taj on this, its final mission; after all, Lieutenant Magner was a good starship pilot--very good in fact." A Time to Kill pg. 125 Jdvelasc 03:33, 8 March 2007 (UTC)

Awesome. i realize that novels will have many more references than onscreen -- where it is rarely mentioned with the "officer" suffix. since we already have non-canon sources that specify "conn" being synonymous with "flight controller", and a longer version "conn officer", wouldn't it be best to reverse what i've done, but settle on a happy medium of simply "conn"? -- Captain M.K.B. 04:07, 8 March 2007 (UTC)

I'll agree with "conn". (Though just to note, "conn officer" would be a job title/description, and doesn't necessarily mean that the person doing that job would be an officer (i.e., non-enlisted). Or at least it would by definition include petty officers.)--Emperorkalan 11:52, 8 March 2007 (UTC)