Originally Posted by
Lima Juliet
Aviatrix, Aviatrice and Aviatress - all feminine nouns of the male noun Aviator. Which is why we agree.
As for Aeronaut - well
naut is from
nautes in Ancient Greek, which means
sailor. So to me, an
Air Sailor is more likely to be a flyer or operator too?
PS. Trenchard, Henderson, Sykes,
et al went around this buoy many times in 1918/1919 on the formation of the RAF and Airman was chosen at that point as a
person of the air. So really who are we to change that?
We are at cross purposes. Aeronaut like astronaut, has no implied gender so gets round the aviator, -trice, -tress, -trix issue was the only point I was making
Yes all sailors “operate” but only one of them steers but they are all part of a crew and they all have their part to play. In fact, in a ship, while operating is the goal, it is the last priority, the greater priorities being to float and to move. Having served in both colours of blue, I find there are a lot of parallels between a ship and a Station. To get an aircraft into the air is at the end of a long chain of tasks, all of which have to be performed by members of the “crew”. In my experience, many aircrew do not appreciate just how far that chain extends.