Airship Roles

Life on board ships is highly regimented, and a definite code of honor and convention keeps order among airmen, who take their roles very seriously.

Officer Positions
Positions are listed in order of authority. In the event that the shipmaster is unable to command, the next highest officer will assume the shipmaster’s role. Some ships, depending on their size, may not have all of these roles.
 * Shipmaster- Head of ship; ultimately in control of everything going on aboard.
 * Deckmaster - Second-in-command; deals with concerns of crew directly, acting as the interface between the crew and shipmaster; he is in charge of the day-to-day operation of the vessel
 * Deckmaster’s mate - The deckmaster’s assistant
 * Navigator- manages navigation of vessel, plotting of courses; in smaller vessels, this role may be taken on by the shipmaster or other officers
 * Master-at-arms- has control over all weapons on board, oversees combat drills, secures explosives and ammunition; on smaller vessels, the deckmaster usually assumes this role
 * Loadmaster - has control of cargo storage, tabulates costs, revenues, profits, may have a mate with non-officer status
 * Machinist- has control of mechanical and structural maintenance of the ship; usually has at least one mate with non-officer status

Specialized Deckhand (Non-Officer) Positions
These specialists have particular roles aboard ship, but do not stand in the line of succession to assume a command role.
 * Helmsman - responsible for steering the ship; one is on duty at all times
 * Ship’s medic - responsible for the medical well-being of all on board; smaller vessels usually do not have one
 * Ship’s cook - responsible for feeding the crew; quite a challenge on a vessel underway
 * Loadmaster’s mate - assists the loadmaster
 * Machinist’s mate  - assists the machinist

Deckhand Positions
Most men working on an airship are common deckhands. They are often working toward a position as a specialized deckhand or officer.
 * Able Airman- an airman with four or more years of experience
 * Airman - an airman with less than four years of experience