Definition
The act of moving through the atmosphere by means of aerodynamic forces (lift and thrust overcoming weight and drag) or by buoyancy, in a heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft. In broader aviation usage, it also refers to a single trip or operation of an aircraft from takeoff to landing.
Plain English
Travel through the air in an aircraft. The word is used both for the activity itself (being airborne) and for one specific journey (a single trip from one airport to another).
Context Anchor
Seen throughout aviation training when discussing aircraft operation, trip planning, maneuvers, weather decisions, and what happens after takeoff and before landing.
Derivation
From Old English flyht, meaning the act of flying, related to fleogan, to fly. The word has carried the same basic meaning for over a thousand years and was applied to aircraft as soon as powered aviation began.
Why Pilots Care
Defines legal and operational boundaries for logging time, regulatory compliance, and safety procedures.
Intuition Check
Flight does not mean every movement of the aircraft. Taxiing on the ground is aircraft operation, but the aircraft is not in flight until it becomes airborne.
Example Sentence 1
The flight from Denver to Phoenix took about two hours.
Example Sentence 2
Air traffic control cleared the flight for takeoff.