This just popped into my head.

When would you use this?

Would you use it when you want to reposition yourself?

If you have strafed a target, and want to come round for another pass, is that when you use this?

Otherwise would you just be flying straight and level?

No, you only use Fly/Drive to move range bands.

Staying in the same range band, it assumes you are moving around as you dogfight or swoop, or whatever. Flying straight and level is not cinematic, just boring.

That makes sense, but the description also states you use it to move WITHIN a rangeband, separate from moving Between Ranged bands.

I would say it would be used if you specifically want to move to a position in relation to something else.. like moving behind or around as asteroid.

Exactly. What they are referring to is if you want to engage with something in that range band. Docking with another vehicle, hiding behind that asteroid and hitting the brakes. That sort of thing.

But general movement within the range band is free.

"Fly/drive" and "Range bands" are abstract game-mechanical constructs. They are there to serve the narrative.

Since starships are rarely ever "standing still," they are always assumed to be moving about, chasing each other, jockeying for position, trying to use stellar phenomena as cover, etc. Character-scale has much the same dynamics. In either case, combat rounds can last for up to a minute or so in time, and it would be silly to assume that everyone is just rooted firmly in place.

But at character scale and starship scale alike, a game-mechanically-significant "move" requires a maneuver to be spent. So if you're trying to actually "get somewhere," you just spend the maneuver and go (or, if the situation is dire enough, spend an action and make a skill check to get where you're trying to go).

To the OP: RebelDave, what you're describing is exactly what I'd do with a fast ship like an A-Wing. Fly in at top speed, strafe the target, and then fly out again. It is likely that it wouldn't be able to hit you all the way out at Medium Range. Or, say you're in a bomber like a Y-Wing. You are attacking a larger capital ship, but you notice that the shields on this side are preventing you from landing too many hits. So, you fly over to the other side where defenses are weakened, and you attack that side instead (only to discover a squadron of TIEs being launched from a nearby hangar ).

My players used fly/drive today to out run pirates as they made calculations for hyperspace and stay out of weapon range. It worked very well and was a tense situation as their ship was outgunned and all the players were wounded.