(ひこうし)

ひこうし
noun
pilot; aviator
occupation
1. pilot; aviator
A person who flies aircraft. More formal than パイロット.
飛行士(ひこうし)なる(ゆめ)だ。
My dream is to become a pilot.
A test pilot flew the new aircraft.
He had admired pilots since childhood and finally fulfilled that dream after rigorous training.
2. astronaut (in compounds)
Used in the compound 宇宙(うちゅう)飛行士(ひこうし) to mean astronaut.
宇宙(うちゅう)飛行士(ひこうし)無事(ぶじ)地球(ちきゅう)帰還(きかん)した
The astronaut safely returned to Earth.
A Japanese astronaut is working on the International Space Station.
My daughter says she wants to be an astronaut and reads a book about stars every day.

飛行士(ひこうし) is the formal term for a person who operates aircraft, formed from 飛行(ひこう) (flight) + () (professional/practitioner). The () suffix denotes a qualified professional, giving the word a more formal tone than the loanword パイロット.

Key compound

Related words