A pilot in the military is generally referred to by their rank and service-specific title, such as a "naval aviator," "airman," or "warrant officer". The exact terminology depends heavily on the specific branch of the armed forces and country.
A fighter pilot or combat pilot is a military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, air-to-ground combat and sometimes electronic warfare while in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft. Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting (close range aerial combat).
Pilot officer is the lowest ranking commissioned officer immediately below flying officer. It is usually equivalent to the rank of second lieutenant in other services. The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) was "company assistant", later renamed to "assistant section officer".
The Air Corps became the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 20 June 1941, giving it greater autonomy from the Army's middle-level command structure.
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”.
Fighter pilots must be commissioned as officers in the military services. A candidate must participate in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) while in college or Officer Candidate School (OCS) after graduation to obtain a commission.
U.S. Air Force pilots use call signs as personal identifiers. Each pilot earns their call sign, usually voted on by the squadron's members, based on memorable moments or inside jokes. Captain Nicolas “Gaucho” Hillmann and Captain Dominico “Vector” Vacanti tell us how they earned their call signs.
An airman is a member of an air force or air arm of a nation's armed forces. In certain armed air forces, it may pertain to a defined and established enlisted rank. An airman might occasionally referred to as a soldier in different definitions.
Bandit: (n) an aircraft identified as an enemy in accordance with theater identification criteria.
Officially known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, Delta Force is America's most elite counter-terrorism and hostage rescue unit. Their missions are top secret—and always successful.
We are looking for talented pilot candidates who are: Currently serving on active duty and full-time active-duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States, including active reserves currently serving as TAR, FTS, or AGR.
The 3:1 rule in aviation is a rule of thumb for descent planning: for every 1,000 feet of altitude to lose, you need 3 nautical miles (NM) of horizontal distance, assuming a standard 3-degree glide path, making it easy to calculate when to start descending. For example, to descend 6,000 feet, a pilot starts descending 18 NM out (6 x 3 = 18). It helps maintain a consistent descent rate, critical for passenger comfort in older planes and for fuel efficiency in modern jets, and aligns with standard approach systems like ILS/VASI.
The Captain (CDB), often referred to as “captain,” is the highest airline pilot rank.
A male pilot is called an AVIATOR, while a female pilot is called an AVIATRIX. The feminine equivalent of AVIATOR is AVIATRIX. Male pilots are AVIATORS. Female pilots are AVIATRICES. However, a female pilot can still be called an AVIATOR.
This rank structure provided for seven enlisted ranks: private, private first class, corporal/technician fifth grade, sergeant/technician fourth grade, staff sergeant/technician third grade, technical sergeant, and master sergeant/first sergeant. Additionally, Air Force personnel were still referred to as "soldiers".
Aviator is just a fancy way to say pilot.
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.
In 2006, the F-35 was given the name "Lightning II" after the Lockheed P-38 Lightning of World War II. Some USAF pilots have nicknamed the aircraft "Panther" instead, and other nicknames include "Fat Amy" and "Battle Penguin". The aircraft's software was developed as six releases, or Blocks, for SDD.
“Angels” means altitude that a friendly airplane is at.
As a Navy Fighter Pilot, the sky is your domain. You'll be part of an elite group of aviators who fly and fight in the world's most lethal jets—all from the deck of an aircraft carrier.
The numbers go from E1-E9, W1-W5, and O-1 to O-10, respectively. Obviously, the higher the number, the higher the rank. But here's where things get a bit complicated. Officers outrank ALL enlisted, no matter how long they have served.
All pilots in the Air Force are officers. There are 10 officer grades (O-1 to O-10). The lowest officer grade outranks the highest enlisted grade (E-1 to E-9).
Pickle. Slang reference by pilots to the release of ordnance (bombs and canisters) over a target, one at a time in close sequence, on one pass. Such a release allowed the ordnance to cover a larger linear area.
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.
Although officially named "Fighting Falcon", the aircraft is commonly known by the nickname "Viper" among its crews and pilots. Since its introduction in 1978, the F-16 became a mainstay of the U.S. Air Force's tactical airpower, where it mainly replaced the F-105 Thunderchief, A-7 Corsair II, and F-4 Phantom II.