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

But Hansen saw in his compatriot much of what he aspired to be: a fighter pilot and an astronaut.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Behind them will be Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian fighter pilot turned astronaut.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Canadian Jeremy Hansen, a 50-year-old former fighter pilot, will become the first non-American to fly around the Moon.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Wilbur “Bull” Meechum, a volatile Marine fighter pilot stationed with his family in Beaufort, S.C., who runs his household like a command post.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

Jake had been a fighter pilot in Korea and had been all over the Orient.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam