aviator

U.S. Army test pilot Lt. F.W. "Mike" Hunter wearing a flight suit. Image from the Office of War Information, 1942.

Aviator (common usage term: pilot, regulatory usage term: airman) is a person qualified in the operation of aircraft, whether for pleasure or as a profession.^[1] The word is normally applied to certified aircraft pilots and flight instructors, but it is also applied in its popular form to any person pursuing flight activities.

The word aviatrix was used to refer to female aviators, reflecting the word's Latin root, but is now seldom used, even as a gender-specific term. An airman is the holder of an airman certificate issued by an Aviation administrative or regulatory authority.^[1]

History

The first certificate was delivered by the Aero Club de France to Louis Blériot in 1908, who made a brief flight in his Type V monoplane on April 5, 1907.^[2] Sabiha Gökçen was the first Turkish female aviator and the first female combat pilot in the world.^[3]

United Kingdom

As of 2000 there were 31,885 private pilots and 16,449 airline and commercial pilots (ATPL and CPL) registered with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Among private pilots, only 6% are female (approximately 1800). In commercial aviation this drops to only 2%.

United States

The Federal Aviation Administration estimates that there are 609,737 active pilots with US Airmen certificates as of December 31, 2005. [1] Of these, about 6%, or 36,584 are female. The state of Alaska has the highest number of pilots per capita; out of an estimated 663,661 residents there are 8,550 pilots, which is about 1:78.

Civil and Commercial Aviation

Delta Air Lines Pilots

Civilian pilots fly privately for pleasure, charity, business, or professionally for airlines and other flight companies. Pilots who are employed by an airline must be qualified as airline pilots. Pilots integrated into a crew may hold positions as Captain (or Commander), First Officer, Second Officer and may be qualified and fly also as Flight Engineer.

In some countries many or most airline pilots have a military background. In most countries, however, airline companies hire civilian pilots even if they do employ ex-military pilots.

Military

F-16 and pilot

Military pilots are trained to fly combat and non-combat operations, support operations, and in some cases rescue operations as well. Aviator is the preferred term used for Navy pilots, while USAF and other military aircrew use the term "pilot".

Some military pilots are also civilian pilots, however, certificates and licenses are not issued under the same regulations.

Aviators in space

In human spaceflight, a pilot is someone who directly controls the operation of a spacecraft while located within the same craft. This term derives directly from the usage of the word "pilot" in aviation, where it is synonymous with "aviator." Note that on the US Space Shuttle, the term "pilot" is analogous to the term "co-pilot" in aviation, as the "commander" has ultimate responsibility for the shuttle.

References

See also

• List of aerospace engineers
• Pilot licensing and certification
• Workplace safety

Aviators in popular culture

• Sky King (1940s-1950s)
• Kirby Grant (1911-1985)
• Arthur Godfrey (1903-1983)
• Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
• Twelve O'Clock High (series) (1964-1967)
• Bill Daily (1927-)
• I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970)
• Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978)
• Glenn Quagmire (1999-)

External links

• Fighter Pilots
• Occupation Information - Pilot
• Ask a Pilot Questions
• An Aviation Timeline

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