Definition
A person who operates the flight controls of an aircraft; a pilot.
Plain English
Someone who flies aircraft. In practical use, the word means the same thing as 'pilot.'
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA handbooks when the text is referring to the pilot as the person making control, judgment, or handling decisions.
Derivation
From the Latin avis, meaning 'bird.' The term originally described early flyers who imitated bird flight, and now simply refers to anyone who flies an aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
When FAA text says “aviator,” it is usually placing responsibility on the person flying the aircraft, not on the aircraft or its equipment.
Intuition Check
Do not read “aviator” as just an aviation fan or someone who works around airplanes. In this context, it means the person who flies or operates the aircraft.
Example Sentence 1
A skilled aviator uses trim to relieve control pressures rather than fighting the airplane.
Example Sentence 2
During the instrument approach, the aviator cross-checked the attitude indicator before making trim changes.