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flight maneuver

flight maneuver

1 6.3
An action by a plane to change its path or angle in the air
  • noun
  • /flaɪt məˈnuːvər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : maniobra de vuelo
  • The aircraft performed intricate flight maneuvers during the airshow, impressing the spectators below.

Examples

  • The pilot executed several challenging flight maneuvers to avoid the storm clouds ahead.

  • Ducco would tell me I was ready to solo, and I would make a serious error during a flight maneuver.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Docking and flight maneuvers had gone well, so the next logical step was to try landing it somewhere.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • During training, the instructor emphasized the importance of mastering basic flight maneuvers for safe flying.

Synonyms

maneuver
vsflight maneuver
  • US
108 6.3

A clever move to gain an advantage in a game or fight

is specific to aircraft moves that change path or attitude
airplane maneuver
vsflight maneuver
  • Specialized
5.2

A move by a plane to change direction or position

is focused on changing path or attitude of an aircraft

How Complex

aerobatics
1 8.2
tactical maneuver
  • Specialized
1 6.5
flight maneuver
  • Specialized
1 6.3
turn
485 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

flight + maneuver

The meaning 'an action or movement performed by an aircraft' is directly and compositionally derived from 'flight' (relating to flying) + 'maneuver' (a skillful movement or action). This noun-noun combination follows regular English compounding patterns and has clear cross-linguistic parallels (e.g., Spanish 'maniobra de vuelo'), so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The phrase flight maneuver shows the literal idea of a flight, meaning a plane in the air, and a maneuver, meaning a planned 'move'. That's why it means a planned action a pilot does to change the plane's 'path' or position in the air.