fighter pilot

American  

[fahy-ter pahy-luht] / ˈfaɪ tər ˌpaɪ lət /

noun

Military.

1. a pilot trained to fly aircraft classified as fighters and to engage in aerial combat.

   The last surviving member of this celebrated squadron of fighter pilots has died, at age 92.

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Etymology

Origin of fighter pilot

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Did he share a fake video of himself as a fighter pilot dumping human waste on No Kings protesters?

From Salon • May 24, 2026

“I still watch fighter pilot videos almost everyday on YouTube and always listen for experiences to learn to be better,” he said in the messages.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

Tom Vo was born in Vietnam, served as a fighter pilot for the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and moved to Southern California as a refugee after the Vietnam War.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

A former Mig-29 fighter pilot and commander-in-chief of the Bulgarian Air Force, his victory is impressive by Bulgarian standards, but does not give Progressive Bulgaria a strong enough mandate to govern alone.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

The story goes that the German fighter pilot she’d shot down was captured on the ground.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein