飞行员

• Pinyin: fēi xíng yuán
• Hanzi breakdown: 飞 = fly; 行 = walk, travel; 员 = member, person — person who travels by flying

Meaning

Pilot; aviator. A person who operates the flying controls of an aircraft.

Includes commercial airline pilots (民航飞行员), military pilots (空军飞行员/战斗机飞行员), and general aviation pilots. A prestigious profession in China requiring rigorous training. Related: 副驾驶 (co-pilot), 机长 (captain), 飞行 (flight/flying).

Examples

1. 他从小就梦想当飞行员，现在终于实现了这个梦想。 He dreamed of becoming a pilot since childhood, and now he has finally realized that dream.
2. 民航飞行员的培训要求非常严格，淘汰率很高。 The training requirements for commercial airline pilots are very strict, with a high dropout rate.
3. 这架飞机的飞行员经验丰富，乘客们可以放心。 The pilot of this plane is very experienced, so passengers can rest assured.

Usage Guide

Context: aviation, career, military

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 当飞行员需要良好的视力和身体素质。(Being a pilot requires good eyesight and physical fitness.)
• 飞行员宣布我们即将降落。(The pilot announced that we would be landing soon.)

Don't Say

• 把驾驶员和飞行员混用 (Don't confuse 驾驶员 (driver, general operator) with 飞行员 (specifically aircraft pilot) — though both can operate vehicles, 飞行员 is only for aircraft)

Origin & History

Compound of 飞行 (flying, flight) + 员 (person, member). Literally 'flying person.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal