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safe2175682 artist:madmax1704 lightning dust5332 soarin'17739 spitfire15712 pegasus497072 pony1603976 g42030475 bed57858 broken pedestal1 comic135503 dizzitron41 feels1680 female1804254 filly97438 harsher in hindsight398 male551278 mare741994 origins226 pillow25532 rain7874 sad31375 stallion195874 wonderbolt trainee uniform1387 woobie351 younger22852

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Background Pony #3C37
Maybe he should’ve added “And above all, consider the consequences of your actions!”
Magma-Fox
Solar Supporter - Fought against the New Lunar Republic rebellion on the side of the Solar Deity (April Fools 2023).

@lackey_h  
The original Script was that LD was demoted to Wingman position, while Rainbow Dash took the role of Flight Leader.
 
She actually had lines at the end, giving Dash a proper apology.
 
That scene was scrapped in favour of her washing out.
genervt
Lunar Supporter - Helped forge New Lunar Republic's freedom in the face of the Solar Empire's oppressive tyrannical regime (April Fools 2023).
Non-Fungible Trixie -
Preenhub - We all know what you were up to this evening~
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
Wallet After Summer Sale -

DUSTY IS BEST CAPTAIN
@IGAF
In my head I cannot help but think that LD’s seeming lack of concern is akin to the kind of attitudes displayed by people who think that to be ‘cool’ means acting like action movie heroes and such - when said heroes would be complete dicks if you were to meet one in real life.
As to LD’s punishment… Ugh… you’d have to find a comparable situation in life to really get a good idea on it.
My biggest issue with her punishment is that she’s blamed for endangering civilians when, at the time of her performing the tornado maneuver, there were no civilians present to endanger.
Plus one has to ask if those civilians were even meant to be able to just wander into the training airspace like that - to me it comes across an awful lot like a bunch of civilians randomly driving onto an artillery range then being surprise when an accident happens.
All this and we still don’t even know why the tornado broke down. I can’t imagine LD deliberately doing a maneuver she knows she actively can’t pull off since… well. You’d have to be a right dumbass pony to try showing off with something you know you can’t do. My best guess is that she’d only ever done single-pony tornados and wasn’t able to account for the extra wingpower Dash provided (which interestingly implied LD doesn’t have a weatherpony background since I imagine a trained weatherpony would know this).
Add in Spitfire and other Instructors failings and… holy shit it’d be a messy investigation at minimum. Especially since LD is, what, only on her fourth or so day of basic training? I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be sorting through that mess - especially since if this is the standard of the academy there are probably a whole shitton of other ‘accidents’ that would be uncovered in the process.
Rather than fully kicking her out, or even banning her forever as people in other places have suggested, I’d be more in favor of dropping her from the academy but leaving a spot open for her return provided she completed some form a remedial trainings - proper weatherpony training or somesuch first. If she can’t pass that then she doesn’t deserve the second shot, but if she does pass then the wonderbolts haven’t lost someone who is clearly ace flier material.
 
Exactly. Or she could be Rainbows wingpony and learn from her.
Background Pony #FE19
Push yourself to your limits, don’t push others past their own. Learn the difference.
JohnSamer

Pow:  
So you think you’re hot stuff ay kid?  
try to follow my pattern  
Dust:  
you got it!  
aerial display above  
the crew are watching  
Drako:  
she’s come a long way  
she’s a lot more driven than rainbow dash  
she just needed someone to curve that gumption into something useful  
power without control is no power at all  
but she’s very eager to learn  
reminds me of Twili-  
Cannon:  
what was that?  
Drako:  
oh nothing important  
she’s stronger than both rainbow dash and fluttershy but she’s very unwieldy  
her moves swing wide and flail  
but it looks like she’s already learning how to use the momentum to swing into the next move  
the only problem is that flying that way she has to plan in advance  
could be a problem if she has to adapt to a changing evironment  
I don’t think she’s gonna be a wonderbolt  
Cannon:  
But she’s tried so hard  
It’s her dream  
Drako:  
the wonderbolts dart and fly in formation  
she bellies out of turns and swoops  
if she was a wonderbolt she runs the risk of a collision  
there is one thing we can try though  
Cannon:  
what’s that  
Drako:  
an inverted pitch turn  
Cannon:  
a what?  
Drako:  
rolling tends to make her belly drop taking her wide  
if instead of rolling in and pitching up  
she rolled out and pitched down  
that effect should drastically tighten her turning circle  
Cannon:  
that sounds complicated  
Drako:  
not really  
all she has to do is fly like she’s upside-down when taking corners  
it’s a trick not even the wonderbolts can do  
Cannon:  
sounds risky  
Drako:  
sure is  
sees Dust take an inverted turn  
something’s not right  
she twitched in the apex  
Dust! can you come down a minute  
Dust:  
but I’m doing so well  
floats down  
Drako:  
feels Dust’s belly  
Dash?  
You haven’t noticed Dust vomitting a lot after practice have you?  
Dash:  
well yeah but she pushes herself so hard i thought-  
Dust:  
I’m sorry  
I’ve been ill for a couple of weeks  
I hope it wont affect my training  
Drako:  
you’re not ill Dust  
Dash:  
That’s a relief  
Drako:  
you’re pregnant
lackey_h
Wallet After Summer Sale -

@IGAF  
In my head I cannot help but think that LD’s seeming lack of concern is akin to the kind of attitudes displayed by people who think that to be ‘cool’ means acting like action movie heroes and such - when said heroes would be complete dicks if you were to meet one in real life.
 
As to LD’s punishment… Ugh… you’d have to find a comparable situation in life to really get a good idea on it.
 
My biggest issue with her punishment is that she’s blamed for endangering civilians when, at the time of her performing the tornado maneuver, there were no civilians present to endanger.
 
Plus one has to ask if those civilians were even meant to be able to just wander into the training airspace like that - to me it comes across an awful lot like a bunch of civilians randomly driving onto an artillery range then being surprise when an accident happens.
 
All this and we still don’t even know why the tornado broke down. I can’t imagine LD deliberately doing a maneuver she knows she actively can’t pull off since… well. You’d have to be a right dumbass pony to try showing off with something you know you can’t do. My best guess is that she’d only ever done single-pony tornados and wasn’t able to account for the extra wingpower Dash provided (which interestingly implied LD doesn’t have a weatherpony background since I imagine a trained weatherpony would know this).
 
Add in Spitfire and other Instructors failings and… holy shit it’d be a messy investigation at minimum. Especially since LD is, what, only on her fourth or so day of basic training? I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be sorting through that mess - especially since if this is the standard of the academy there are probably a whole shitton of other ‘accidents’ that would be uncovered in the process.
 
Rather than fully kicking her out, or even banning her forever as people in other places have suggested, I’d be more in favor of dropping her from the academy but leaving a spot open for her return provided she completed some form a remedial trainings - proper weatherpony training or somesuch first. If she can’t pass that then she doesn’t deserve the second shot, but if she does pass then the wonderbolts haven’t lost someone who is clearly ace flier material.
IGAF

@lackey_h  
Yeah, Lightning Dust exhibited the most basic behaviors of a recruit that believed the best athletes would be what the military would want. It’s not a bad thing, to want to be the best athlete in the team, but it’s not the true purpose either. Like you said, the training is supposed to break down the individual and build up the team player. Being able to work in a cohesive unit is not a natural born talent, but a skill that needs to be instilled into the recruit during basic training and forged through the bonds of their teammates.
 
You’re also right that Spitfire failed as a leader when she didn’t take care of the situation when it first presented itself. So I definitely don’t think that Lightning Dust should shoulder ALL the blame. But on the flip side, I do think that in a situation like this, she would be removed from the class as an example to the rest of the recruits, to show them that the Wonderbolts had little-to-no tolerance for glory seekers who put their own interests in front of the wellbeing of others. It’s also possible that this would be done to “save face” for the instructor. I’ve seen it happen before, and it doesn’t mean it’s right, but believable.
 
And this is just pure speculation, but I got the feeling that Lightning Dust’s lack of concern for Rainbow’s friends seemed to be an emotional defense mechanism. She acted all brash and defiant in front of the recruits, but when she was removed from her position (even prior to that), she looked like she felt guilty for her actions. If she truly thought that she was in the right, I think she would’ve voiced it, or at least glare at Rainbow indignantly.
Da5ch
Shimmering Smile - Celebrated the 10th anniversary of Equestria Girls!
Princess of Love - Extra special version for those who participated in the Canterlot Wedding 10th anniversary event
My Little Pony - 1992 Edition
Friendship, Art, and Magic (2020) -
Friendship, Art, and Magic (2017) - Celebrated Derpibooru's five year anniversary with friends.

I’m not gonna say a thing…I’m not gonna look at the tl;dr comments and debates below…I can’t handle it…
lackey_h
Wallet After Summer Sale -

@IGAF  
Hey hey, I’m pretty much in agreement with that. But you try explaining to the people who have decided LD is one step away from Hitler.
 
I’ve never intended to say that LD is blameless, only that everything she did was entirely preventable had the various instructor ponies cared to do their jobs properly.  
But apparently the vast majority of the anti-LD crowd believe, as i mentioned in an earlier post, that LD should have been trained to be a wonderbolt before she came to wonderbolt training. It’s almost impossible to convince these people that, shockingly, not everyone who comes to basic training has the right attitude and sense of teamwork right off the bat and that this is normal and not some freakish crime by LD.
IGAF

@lackey_h and Princess♠Molestia
 
I’m not trying to slam Lightning Dust, nor am I saying that Spitfire made all the right decisions as a DI. I’m just looking at it as a third party that observed the incident.
 
I think the best way to determine the severity of the situation without being biased would be to distil the events down to simplest terms.
 
Who was in charge of the team?  
Lightning Dust.
 
Did Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash create a tornado that neither one was able to control?  
Yes.
 
What was the reason for creating the tornado?  
To eliminate more targets (clouds) than the other trainees.
 
Was the tornado necessary to accomplish the mission?  
No.
 
Did it endanger the lives of other ponies?  
Yes.
 
Did Rainbow Dash follow the orders given to her despite the potential dangers?  
Yes.
 
Who placed Lightning Dust as Lead Pony?  
DI Spitfire.
 
Did Lightning Dust show a pattern of recklessness in prior tests?  
Yes.
 
Who was the instructor in charge?  
DI Spitfire.
 
Were actions taken to correct the reckless behavior?  
No.
 
Lightning Dust made a mistake. So did Rainbow Dash and Spitfire. Technically, they all should’ve been in trouble, with Spitfire taking the most heat and Rainbow the least (due to leadership positions) That doesn’t mean that any of them are scumbags that never deserve another chance.
 
That being said, I really think that the 22 minute limit was a major part in how they portrayed her character traits, the scenarios, and the punishment for her actions. Normally something like this could take weeks to clear up.