pilots
They fly planes
Pilots are people who operate aircraft, guiding planes through takeoff, flight, and landing.
The term extends to those who navigate ships through difficult waters or steer spacecraft.
A pilot can also be a trial version of something—a pilot program, a pilot episode—testing viability before full commitment.
To pilot is to guide or steer: She piloted the company through the merger.
Military aviation unit
- formationCreation or arrangement
- wingmenSupportive companions in pursuit
- fightersThose who engage physically
- bombersAircraft designed for airstrikes
reconnaissance · escort · combat · mission · sortie · tactical · ace · dogfight
Pilot's control compartment
- takeoffDeparture or parody
- landingDescent's final moment
- airspeedAircraft's atmospheric velocity
- altitudeMeasured height above reference
throttle · yoke · rudder · flaps · turbulence · instrumentation · preflight · checklist
Data shown visually
- compassDevice showing cardinal directions
- waypointNavigation reference location
- coursePlanned path forward
- bearingPosture or orientation
GPS · radar · flight plan · heading · airspace · air traffic control · beacon · transponder
Safe anchorage for ships
- helmsmanOne who navigates vessels
- shipSeagoing transport vessel
- vesselReceptacle for contents
- channelPassage for transmission
port · navigation · docking · tugboat · captain · riverboat · coastal · sandbar
Experimental aircraft evaluation
- prototypeFirst functional specimen
- experimental aircraftPlane testing new designs
- YeagerLegendary test pilot
- sound barrierMach one transition zone
flight testing · evaluation · first flight · certification · risk · innovation · Wright brothers · Earhart
squadron
Military aviation unit
- formationCreation or arrangement
- wingmenSupportive companions in pursuit
- fightersThose who engage physically
bombers · reconnaissance · escort · combat · mission · sortie · tactical · ace · dogfight · Top Gun
cockpit
Pilot's control compartment
altitude · throttle · yoke · rudder · flaps · turbulence · instrumentation · preflight · checklist · glidepath
chart
Data shown visually
- compassDevice showing cardinal directions
- waypointNavigation reference location
- coursePlanned path forward
bearing · GPS · radar · flight plan · heading · airspace · air traffic control · beacon · transponder · flight path
harbor
Safe anchorage for ships
channel · port · navigation · docking · tugboat · captain · riverboat · coastal · sandbar · lighthouse
test flight
Experimental aircraft evaluation
- prototypeFirst functional specimen
- experimental aircraftPlane testing new designs
- YeagerLegendary test pilot
sound barrier · flight testing · evaluation · first flight · certification · risk · innovation · Wright brothers · Earhart
- flightflying, fly, flight, aviation, aircraft
- travel termsnonstop, direct, airline, one-way, round-trip
- aerospaceairplane, helicopter, rocket, rockets, spacecraft
- Air Forcesair force, US Air Force, Luftwaffe, RAF, squadrons
- Air Travelboarding, airline, flight attendants, takeoff, landing
- Television Historygolden age, broadcast networks, network television, color TV, live broadcasts
pilotsfollows
Comes after another
followers · imitators · subordinates · copiers · adopters
- test pilotAviator who evaluates new aircraft
- fighter pilotAirborne military combatant
- pilot whalesBulbous-headed toothed cetaceans
- pilot lightContinuous ignition source
- airline pilotCommercial aircraft operator
- pilot episodeFirst episode testing viability
pilot, piloting, piloted, autopilot, co-pilot, copilot, pilotage, pilotless, copilots