Flight Operations Organisation
The Flight Group, Flight Department, Operations Department, and Craft Maintenance Department work together to fullfil Flight operations. Also assisted by various other ship dempartments such as Weapons Dept, Supply Dept, and Medical Dept
Flight Department (carrier air department)
The Flight department is organized into divisions that are responsible for launching and recovering operations. They also handle and service aircraft and maintain the equipment necessary for these functions. Flight department personnel are ship's company, and the department is a permanent shipboard activity.
- V-1 Division
- The hanger deck division is responsible for the handling of all craft in the hanger deck. Directing craft though out the hanger areas, and operating craft-handling equipment, such as tractors and cranes. Also included in this division is the crash, fire, and rescue party.
- V-2 Division
- Personnel in the launching and recovering division are usually assigned to one of two crews.
- The launching crew is responsible for the operation and maintenance of cycling racks. TIEs were launched from cycling racks and pilots boarded from overhead gantries and were released into space as they disengaged from the front position in the racks.
- The recovering crew is charged with the operation and maintenance of all recovery machinery such as tractor beams, receiver-carriers, pilot debarkation station. Returning fighters landed in separate hangars and then were guided by small tractor beams into receiver-carriers. The receivers carried the TIE to a debarkation station where the pilot would exit.
- V-3 Division
- The small forward hangar was for shuttle craft carrying high-ranking officials. The forward hangar was also used as a back-up to the main hangar. The forward hangar division personnel were responsible for operation, maintenance, and movement of craft from the forward hanger.
- V-4 Division
- This division is responsible for servicing, and refueling, in separate bays before being moved to a launch rack, and readied for the next lauch.
- Craft Weapons Division
- This division is responsible rearming craft in separate bays, before being moved to a launch rack. This division is an attachment from the Weapons Department.
- Hanger Supply Division
- This division is responsible for supplying Flight Departments needs during operations. This division is an attachment from the Supply Department.
Flight Group (carrier air wing/group)
Flight Group Headquarters
The Flight Group is commanded by a O-5 Captain, who functioned as a department head, they are on par with the Destroyers Executive officer, and the Stormtrooper commander, all of who reported to the Star Destroyers commanding officer, a Line Captain O-5a.
In matters concerning flight department functions, the Group Captain acts under the direction of the air deparment officer. In matter concering the operations department functions, the Group Captain acts under the direction of the operation officer.
The Flight Group has a small command staff consisting of 16–20 officers and approximately 20 enlisted personnel.
Second in command is the deputy commander, also a Captain O-5, also on the staff are an operations officer (typically a Commander O-4), a number of warfare specialists (typically lieutenant commanders or lieutenants), two wing landing signal officers, an intelligence officer, a weapons officer and a maintenance officer. The Flight Group staff is often supplemented with squadron personnel, such as the squadron intelligence officers.
- Executive Officer (XO)
- The XO is assisted by various department heads, to assure that the Group is administered properly and the commander's orders are carried out.
- Operations Officer (OO)
- The operations (OPS) division is responsible for the operational readiness and tactical efficiency of the Group. The OPS division consists of the logs and records, schedules, training, communications, and navigation departments.
- Intelligence Officer (IO)
- The intelligence division is responsible to collect, compile, and analyze information, and distribute intelligence to Squadron officers.
- Flight Surgeon
- The medical department is responsible for maintaining the health of all personnel and advising the CO in matters of sanitation and hygiene. Make sure pilots are medically fit for flight.
- Maintenance Officer (MO)
- Electronics Officer (MO)
- Weapons Officer (MO)
- The maintenance department which is responsible for the overall maintenance of the Groups craft. Some Squadrons have larger maintenance departments, usually those who fly uncommon craft. Common craft such as the TIE series, are usually maintained from the ships Craft Maintenance Department. This division is an attachment from the Maintenance Department.
- Navigation Officer
- The navigation department is responsible to the CO for the pre flight navigation, and operational navigation of craft.
- Supply Officer
- This division is responsible for supplying Flight Groups needs during operations. This division is an attachment from the Supply Department.
- Landing Signal Officer
- Warfare Specialist Officer
Wing Organisation (squadron organization)
Squadron Organisation (squadron organization)
Squadron consists of a Commanding Officer (CO), a Lieutenant Commander O-3, Leading the Squadron.
An Executive Officer (XO), and 2 Flight Lieutenants, leading 3 flights.
5 Pilot Lieutenants, as wingmen in each flight.
Assisting the flight operations of the Squadron are:
- Executive Officer (XO)
- The XO is assisted by various department heads, to assure that the squadron is administered properly and the squadron commander's orders are carried out.
- Operations Officer (OO)
- The operations (OPS) department is responsible for the operational readiness and tactical efficiency of the squadron. The OPS department consists of the logs and records, schedules, training, communications, and navigation divisions.
- Maintenance Officer (MO)
- Has administrative control over the maintenance department which is responsible for the overall maintenance of the squadron's aircraft. Some quadrons have larger maintenance departments, usually those who fly uncommon craft. Common craft such as the TIE series, are usually maintained from the ships Craft Maintenance Department.
- Intelligence Officer (IO)
- Responsible to collect, compile, and analyze information. Send that intelligence to the Intelligence Division, and distribute intelligence to Squadron officers.
Reference: Typical aircraft squadron organizational chart.
Reference: Squadron aircraft maintenance department organizational chart.
Operations Deparment (carrier ops/CIC)
The operations department has the responsibility of Flight Operations and the Combat Information Center (CIC). The allied divisions, including flight intelligence, recognition, and flight plot are added responsibilities.
Flight Maintenance Department (aircraft intermediate maintenance department)
The Maintenance Department is responsible for the overall maintenance of the squadron's aircraft.
Reference: Aircraft intermediate-level maintenance department (afloat) organizational chart.
Reference: Squadron aircraft maintenance department organizational chart.
- General Maintenance Division
- Inspection and Servicing Branch
- Power Plants Branch
- Craft Frames Branch
- Life Support Branch
- Electronics Division
- Instrument Branch
- Avionics Branch
- Craft Frames Branch
- Armament Branch
- Support Equipment Division
Supply Division
This division is responsible for the Maintenance Departments needs during operations. This division is an attachment from the Supply Department.
Hanger Operaterations
The attack hangar was located on the underside on the ship and was guarded by a set of armored doors. TIE fighter service and refueling bays, and TIE launch hangars surrounded the main hangar. TIEs were launched from cycling racks and pilots boarded from overhead gantries and were released into space as they disengaged from the front position in the racks.
Returning fighters landed in separate hangars and then were guided by small tractor beams into receiver-carriers. The receivers carried the TIE to a debarkation station where the pilot would exit. Once moved through the transfer tunnels to a launch hangar, the fighter could be serviced and refueled in a separate bay. In the hangar, the TIEs were cycled through a launch rack and ready for the next launch. The small forward hangar was for shuttle craft carrying high-ranking officials. The forward hangar was also used as a back-up to the main hangar.
Notes:
Definitive Guide to How Star Destroyer Hangars Work (HEADCANON)
by Waffle-House55
In Star Wars, the Imperial-Class Star Destroyer has always had a problem when it comes to its hangars and complement.
It’s stated to have a large complement of 72 TIE Series Fighters, 20 AT-ATs, 30 AT-STs, and a variety of other shuttlecraft and ground transports. But in shows and games, such as Rebels and Squadrons, the hangar bay is depicted as way too small to accommodate all that military cargo, and doesn’t even show it onscreen.
So, using the legendary Fractalsponge’s Imperator Redux Model, Imperator Redux WIP#7, and Notes attached to it, along with the Star Wars Complete Vehicles book, as well as my own egregious estimates, to properly explain how the hangars work and where all this stuff is stored, as well as adding in additional stuff and details I thought would be cool. This doesn’t align with anything depicted in the games or shows, as this is my own headcanon on how I believe it should work.
Here are the links to Fractal's work:
https://fractalsponge.net/?p=3430
https://fractalsponge.net/?p=3446
https://fractalsponge.net/?p=3321
**First: Main Attack Hangar (The Large Rear Door)**
The Main Attack Hangar is a massive hangar dedicated to storing/servicing Troop Transports, Dropships, and Ground Vehicles. Fractalsponge has said the hangar on his model is able to accommodate several of his Chi-Class Dropships, which are 154 Meters Long and 30-40 Meters Tall, however, he does note that they’re too big to fit through the hangar door.
“None – several could fit in the bay but the hangar doors aren’t big enough to take them inside.” - Fractalsponge
So I estimate that the Attack Hangar itself is around 150-200 Meters Long and 400 Meters Wide.
THE DOOR to the hangar is around 200 or so meters Wide and 20-30 Meters Tall.
The Hangar’s complement is organized like this:
Heavy Vehicles-------Dropships/Transports--------Light Vehicles
-------------------------[ Main Door ]-----------------------
The hangar space to the right (left) of the door is for storing/servicing heavy walkers and tanks, such as AT-ATs, SPHAs, or HAVr A10 Sycthe Heavy Repulsor Tanks.
Likewise, the hangar space to the left (right) of the door is for storing/servicing lighter vehicles and tanks, such as AT-STs, AT-DPs, ITTs, GAV Occupier Tanks, or even Saber Tanks.
The hangar floor aligned with the doorway is reserved for Troop Transports and Vehicle dropships, such as IDTs, Gozantis, and Theta-Class Barges. This is also the space where ground vehicles go to get loaded onto or picked up by their dropships before being carried out of the hangar.
Second: Ceiling Hatches
There are four ceiling hatches on Fractal’s model that appear in the main aperture that aren’t seen anywhere in canon or legends, but Fractal said he based them off the small launch hangars shown in the Star Wars: TIE Fighter video game. In my headcanon, these hatches are for deploying recon fighters, such as TIE Vanguards, for surveying a system an ISD enters and providing data on potential enemies or anomalies.
**Third: Logistics Bay and Main TIE Landing Bay (The small forward hangars across from the attack hangar)**
While we don’t know what the left-side hangar is in canon, Fractal describes it as a logistics bay. I assume this bay is for cargo deliveries and storage, and probably carries a pair of cargo shuttles or small freighters like the Zeta-Class and Gozanti. The right forward hangar is the main TIE landing bay according to the Star Wars Cross Sections book. After a mission, Starfighters fly into the landing bay, where they dock onto overhead TIE racks and are taken to the serving bay to be refueled and/or repaired, whereupon they are taken to the TIE launch bays in groups of 6.
Additionally, the floor of the TIE landing bay is used to store TIE/BR Boarding Craft, however, it can also be used as a backup hangar for TIEs.
**Fourth: Starfighter Launch Zones (The 16 Doors- 8 on each side- that line the walls)**
As depicted in the Star Wars Cross Sections Book and in Fractal’s Imperator Model, the walls of the hangar aperture are actually doors where the ISD’s starfighters are launched. There are 16 doors, with 8 on each side, with each door containing 6 fighters lined up neatly in a single-file row.16 doors x 6 fighters per door = 96 fighters in total, or 8 Squadrons. As stated before, these are where starfighters are taken after they are serviced on overhead racks, as depicted on Fractal’s model and in the Star Wars Cross Sections Book on the Star Destroyer.
**Fifth: Executive Shuttle Bay (Frontal Bay toward the front of the ISD)**
As depicted in the Cross Sections books and in Fractal’s model, the small frontal bay towards the bow of the ship is reserved for executive shuttles and their escorts, sort of like an executive parking space. This can also be used by Ace Pilots as a special place to land their TIEs, as well as a space for experimental fighters that don’t fit on the standard TIE Racks, such as Vader’s TIE Advanced.
With all that said and done, here is my take on an ISD’s Complement.
Remember: This can be changed depending on the mission profile or the importance of the vessel.
-Starfighters
48 TIE/LN Fighters
12 TIE/IN Interceptors
12 TIE/SA Bombers
12 TIE/RB Brutes OR TIE/AG Aggressors
12 Alpha-Class Starwings OR Missile Gunboats
8 TIE/VA Vanguards (Ceiling Doors)-
Executive Shuttles / Specialty Craft / Cargo Ships
8 Lambda-Class Shuttles OR TIE/SH VIP Shuttles
6 TIE/BR Boarding Craft
4 Zeta-Class Cargo Shuttles (Logistics Bay)
-Landing Craft / Dropships
2 TIE/RP Reapers
8 Sentinel-Class Landing Craft
15 Imperial Dropship Transports
10 Theta-Class Barges
2-4 Gozanti-Class Cruisers
-Light Assault Vehicles
30 AT-STs / AT-DPs
25 K79-S80 Troop Transports
25 TX-130T Fighter Tanks5 Chariot LAVr
OR:
125 AT-PTs
25 AT-DTs
25 GAV TX-225 “Occupier” Tanks
5 Chariot LAVr
-Heavy Assault Vehicles
20 AT-ATs
15 AT-SEs
OR:
10 HAVr A10 Scythe Heavy Repulsor Tanks
15 MAVr A7 Broadsword-Class Repulsor Tanks
I really hope I wasn't too confusing in my terrible descriptions. I wanted to use pictures to better explain it but I can't attach them to the post. So if you have any questions or feedback please let me know.