This photo of an
archetypal aviator from 1942 shows
U.S. Army test pilot
Lt. F.W. "Mike" Hunter wearing a
flight suit and
aviator sunglasses. An aviator (also
pilot or
airman) is a person who flies
aircraft, whether for pleasure or as a profession. 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. In civilian usage, the word airman is analogous with the nautical term
seaman.
Photo credit: Alfred T. Palmer, USOWI