Definition

Noun: A professional pilot who performs and demonstrates difficult, skillful, and often dangerous maneuvers in an aircraft for public entertainment, typically as part of a traveling show or exhibition.

Usage

The term "stunt flier" specifically refers to the person who pilots the aircraft during aerial stunt performances. It describes a specialized type of aviator whose primary role is entertainment through daring flight.

Examples

• The airshow featured a famous stunt flier who performed loops and rolls just meters above the ground.
• Early aviation pioneers often worked as stunt fliers at county fairs to earn a living.
• The stunt flier carefully checked her biplane before the daring parachute jump sequence.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often associated with the early to mid-20th century, a golden age for barnstorming and traveling air circuses.
• It implies not just skill but also a willingness to take calculated risks for spectacle.

Variants and Related Words

• Stunt pilot: A more modern and commonly used synonym for "stunt flier."
• Barnstormer: A historical term for a pilot, often a stunt flier, who performed in traveling shows, landing in fields near small towns.
• Aerobatic pilot: A pilot specializing in precision flying and maneuvers, often in competitions as well as shows.

Synonyms

• Daredevil pilot
• Exhibition pilot
• Aerobatic pilot

Related Phrases

• Stunt flying: (Noun) The act or skill of performing aerial stunts.
  • His career was built on decades of expert stunt flying.
• Barnstorming: (Noun/Adjective) The practice of performing stunts and giving rides in a traveling air show.
  • The barnstorming tour brought thrilling aviation to rural communities.

Noun

1. a pilot who travels around the country giving exhibits of stunt flying and parachuting