Aviator

Aviators are people who fly aircraft or balloons either for pleasure or for a job. The term is normally applied to pilots but it can be applied more broadly, for example to include people such as wing-walkers who regularly take part in an aerobatic display sequence. The term was more commonly used in the early days of flying and has connotations of bravery and adventure. As Steve Fossett has shown with his recent (2002) solo flight around the globe in a helium balloon, there are still challenges to be flown and records to be broken.

Famous aviators include:

• Louis Bleriot
• George Cayley
• Amelia Earhart
• Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
• Roland Garros
• Amy Johnson
• Charles Kingsford Smith
• Charles Lindbergh
• Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi
• Milo Burcham
• Charles Stewart Rolls
• Nevil Shute
• Wright brothers