senior pilot
1
4.2
- noun
- /ˈsiːn.jɚ ˈpaɪ.lət/
- Specialized
:
piloto principal
- During the emergency landing, the senior pilot took charge and instructed the crew on safety protocols.
Examples
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The senior pilot confirmed that the aircraft was ready for departure after completing the final checks.
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I could learn from our senior pilot as he drove the boat across, in 80-mile winds, sitting right behind him, looking for pilings and docks floating in the water that we didn't want to hit.
Blog text (9) -
The on board count, 150 passengers, three flight attendants and two pilots, one of whom, the senior pilot, drew on all of his experience and skill, which combined with near-miraculous good luck and a result that was, frankly, astounding.
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"I brought our—the firm's—best technician with us, and a senior pilot with whom we've worked in the past.
Fiction book (1990) -
The airline promoted her to senior pilot because of her extensive flight experience and leadership skills.
Synonyms
611
1.1
The person in charge of a ship or aircraft and its crew
Antonyms
How Senior
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'senior' (higher rank/experience) with 'pilot' (aircraft operator), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to the pilot with higher rank or command responsibility. This adjective+noun composition follows regular, cross-linguistically common patterns, making the meaning immediately derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
The term senior pilot comes from the idea of the most experienced pilot leading the crew. 'Senior' means higher in rank and pilot is the person who flies the plane, so the phrase now means the pilot who is 'in charge' and makes the final decisions.