You address a female pilot professionally as "Captain" (if she's the Pilot in Command) or "First Officer" (if she's the co-pilot) or by her rank in the military, just like a male pilot; you can also use "Ma'am," but "Captain" or "First Officer" are standard and preferred in aviation contexts, recognizing her role, not gender.
Women pilots were also formerly called "aviatrices" (singular "aviatrix"). Women have been flying powered aircraft since 1908; prior to 1970, however, most were restricted to working privately or in support roles in the aviation industry.
Male flight attendants are called hosts while female ones are referred to as hostesses. Cabin crew is selected in accordance with the certain rules of aviation organizations and they are also subjected to the rules set by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation.
Formally, you would normally address a fighter pilot by his rank, such as Lieutenant or Commander, followed by his last name, e.g. CAPT Hutchison. Or use their first names or initials, e.g “J.P”.
On your journey to becoming a commercial airline pilot, your first stop after training and flight instructing will probably be flying as a First Officer. After gaining experience as a First Officer, you will then upgrade to Captain. While the roles of a First Officer and a Captain are different, they also overlap.
The pilot in command (PIC) of an aircraft is the person aboard an aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight. This would be the captain in a typical two- or three-pilot aircrew, or "pilot" if there is only one certificated and qualified pilot at the controls of an aircraft.
The call sign is a specialized form of nickname that is used as a substitute for the aviator's given name. It is used on flight suit and flight jacket name tags, painted/displayed beneath the officer's or enlisted aircrewman's name on aircraft fuselages or canopy rails, and in radio conversations.
You're right: the pilot in command of a civilian aircraft, whether it's a piper cub or a huge jetliner, is addressed as “Captain.” The co-pilot is called the first officer but can also be addressed as Captain since both can change places during flight in midair.
The High-Flying Language of Pilots
The phonetic alphabet helps limit confusion between the cockpit and the tower. Not only are the letters in the ICAO phonetic alphabet assigned, but so are the numbers. Similar to the letters, the aim is to avoid confusion with other similar numbers.
By the end of the 1970s, the term stewardess had generally been replaced by the gender-neutral alternative flight attendant. Also, during the 1980s and 1990s, more men were allowed to apply as flight attendants, helping to create more usage of this term.
An air host, or a cabin crew member, is responsible for ensuring passenger safety and comfort during flights, communicating safety procedures, assisting passengers with onboarding and deplaning, serving food and beverages, and maintaining the cleanliness of the plane.
Amelia Mary Earhart was an American aviator born on July 24, 1897. On May 20 and 21, 1932, she became the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean. She flew from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, to Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Her entire flight lasted 14 hours and 56 minutes.
Every runway is unique, but a commonly referenced optimum glidepath follows the "3:1" principle. The principle, also seen as a descent ratio, means that for every 3 nautical miles (nm) flown over the ground, the aircraft should descend 1,000 feet. This flightpath profile simulates a 3-degree glideslope.
Aviator is just a fancy way to say pilot.
How much does a Female Pilot make? As of Jan 5, 2026, the average annual pay for a Female Pilot in the United States is $130,916 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $62.94 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,517/week or $10,909/month.
10 Aviation pilot phrases you don't expect
That's why flight instructors teach a timeless checklist known as the “Five C's” — a set of actions to help pilots remain calm, regain situational awareness, and navigate back to safety. The 5 C's are: Climb, Conserve, Call, Confess, and Comply.
Why Roger instead of yes? In early radio communications, Pilate needed a simple way to confirm that they have received a message. Roger was chosen because in the 1920s in the phonetic alphabet are meant received. Singh Roger was a way to say that I have received and understood your message.
Formally, you would normally address a fighter pilot by his rank, such as Lieutenant or Commander, followed by his last name, e.g. CAPT Hutchison. Or use their first names or initials, e.g “J.P”. In the Top Gun movies, all the pilots and even civilians, address pilots using their callsign or nickname.
The phrase "five by five" can be used informally to mean "good signal strength" or "loud and clear".
The 26 code words are as follows (ICAO spellings): Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliett, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, Xray, Yankee, and Zulu.
Summary of pilot salary ranges
Entry-level pilot roles often start around $35,000–$60,000. Mid-level regional airline jobs range between $55,000 and $100,000. High-level positions at major airlines or cargo carriers can exceed $200,000.
Synonyms of pilot