Pilot proving grounds

Pilot proving grounds were simulators used by the Alliance to Restore the Republic to train rookie pilots, in the manners of speed, dexterity and targeting.

The main pilot proving ground during the early days of the Galactic Civil War saw rookie Rebels enter a modified area of space, where metallic platforms were placed in the manner of a corridor. The pilot had to pass through the doorways in the proper series, without over-passing one. In later levels, there were also turrets inflicting simulated damage, in order to train the pilot's targeting abilities while in speed. The course was informally referred to as "The Maze." Pilots were required to pass eight levels for any given ship, in order to earn a flight badge for it, certifying their skill.

The Rebels received the technology for the rings from the Verpine, which used them in the Vergesso Asteroids.

After the Battle of Hoth, Rebel pilots began using a salvage yard as a proving ground, negotiating a course that used rings that formed a corridor, and also boosted the ship's speed temporarily. There were also exercises that demanded the pilot to pass through an asteroid. One pilot known to have been killed while flying a notably dangerous level was Ched Varga.