Aviation is the activity or industry of designing, building, and flying aircraft. It includes everything from small planes to large airlines.
From French “aviation,” based on Latin “avis,” meaning “bird,” plus the noun ending “-ation.” It was coined in the early days of flight, when humans were trying to copy birds.
Aviation literally means “bird-ing,” built from the word for bird. Humans named their flying machines by admitting they were just clever bird imitators.
Aviation culture has long been male-dominated, and language around pilots and engineers often defaulted to male pronouns and imagery. Women aviators were frequently treated as exceptions or novelties rather than professionals.
Use gender-neutral terms like “pilot,” “flight crew,” and “engineer,” and avoid assuming any aviation role is tied to a particular gender.
Women such as Bessie Coleman, Amelia Earhart, and many others have been pioneers in aviation, contributing to flight records, safety standards, and aerospace innovation despite systemic barriers.
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