The feminine word aviatrix is sometimes used. The term is from the Latin root.

The word is often applied to pilots, but it is also applied to include people such as air navigators, bombardiers, Weapons Systems Officers and electronic warfare Officers. This should not be confused with the term naval aviator, which refers crew members in the United States Navy, Marines and Coast Guard.

There are also such minor aviation characters as wing-walkers who take part in aerobatic display sequences.

The term aviator (as opposed to "pilot" or other terms) was used more in the early days of aviation, before anyone had ever seen an airplane fly, and it had connotations of bravery and adventure. For example, the editors at the Dayton Herald, in an article of December 18, 1903 described the Wright Brothers' first airplane thus: "The weight, including the body of the aviator, is slightly over 700 pounds".

To ensure the safety of people in the air as well as on the ground, it soon became a requirement for an aircraft to be under the operational control of a properly trained, certified and current pilot at all times, who is responsible for the safe and legal completion of the flight. The first certificate was delivered by the Aero Club de France to Louis Blériot in 1908, followed by Glenn Curtiss, Leon Delagrange, and Robert Esnault-Pelterie. The absolute authority given to the Pilot in Command is derived from that of a ship's captain.Fact: date=February 2007

As of 2006, just over 6% of certified civilian pilots (both private and commercial) in the U.S. were women.

Civilian

United States

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have slashed their pilot pay scales and benefits in the face of fierce competition from low-cost carriers. In fact, Southwest Airlines Captains and First Officers both have higher salaries than their counterparts at legacy carriers. As of May 2004, median annual earnings of airline pilots, co-pilots, and flight engineers were $129,250. [http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos107.htm Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers ] However, such salaries represent the upper level of airline pay scales. Salaries at regional airlines can be considerably less - though, according to the Bureau of Labor statistics, median annual earnings of commercial pilots were $212,870, with the middle 50 per cent earning between $137,170 and $279,390. Pilots making very large salaries are typically senior airline captains, while pilots making very small salaries are generally low-seniority first officers. In practice, most pilots make reasonable average working salaries. A large variability in salaries can easily skew an average; thus, the use of median wages to gauge such things as salary. Where large gaps are seen between a median figure, and a lower-bound figure, this usually reflects those who do not stay in that particular field. Viewing this middle ground in context to the upper-bound numbers can give a burgeoning pilot an idea of what to expect if they are able to stay with flying as a full-time career. Based upon voluntary pilot reports, many United States airline pay scales are listed here: 1. Most airline pilots are unionized, with the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) being the largest pilot labor union in the United States.