Definition
A licensed crewmember assigned to duty in an aircraft during flight time. The term applies to those whose duties are essential to the operation of the aircraft itself, such as pilots, flight engineers, and flight navigators. It does not include cabin attendants, whose duties relate to passenger care rather than aircraft operation.
Plain English
Someone on the crew whose job is to actually operate the aircraft while it is flying — the people up front working the controls, systems, and navigation, not the people looking after passengers in the cabin.
Context Anchor
Seen in regulations, aircraft operating rules, required-crew discussions, and duty assignment records.
Why Pilots Care
Determines who holds legal responsibility for flight duties and meets regulatory crew minimums.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as meaning every crew person on the aircraft. In this context, a flight crewmember is someone assigned to operate the aircraft during the flight.
Example Sentence 1
Each flight crewmember must hold a current medical certificate appropriate to the duties they perform.
Example Sentence 2
Regulations require two flight crewmembers for this type of operation.