# airline pilot



## qweasd77

Hi. I found that hikoushi means pilot. I assume this is just a general word for all pilots. Is there a specific word for airline pilot? How about differentiating between Captain (the pilot-in-command) and First Officer (second-in-command)? Thanks everyone for all the help I've been receiving since joining the forum.

Watashi wa hikoushi desu.


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## masatom

Hello.

We seldom use hikoushi in our modern daily conversation. We usually say pairotto(pilot).
My dictionary(eijiro) says that airline pilot is 定期航空パイロット(teiki-koukuu-pairotto).
It is a new word to me. I've never used it before. This is because my business field is different from avion.
We say 操縦士（soujyuu-shi)(polot) and 副操縦士（fuku-soujyuu-shi)(co-pilot) sometimes.
We usually say chief pilot 機長　（ki-chou) and 副操縦士（fuku-soujyuu-shi)(co-pilot) 

I don't know the difference of Captain and First Officer.
Do you mean Captain is the chief-pilot and First Officer is the co-pilot?

And I don't know other kind of specific pilot.
For example you distingush airline pilots and air force pilots, don't you?

We say Japanese air force pilots are 自衛隊のパイロット (jieitai-no-pairotto).
We would rather say JAL-no-pairotto (pilot of Janaese airline)  instead of teiki-koukuu-pairotto.

Thanks.


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## BocaJuniors

masatom said:


> Hello.
> 
> We seldom use hikoushi in our modern daily conversation. We usually say pairotto(pilot).
> My dictionary(eijiro) says that airline pilot is 定期航空パイロット(teiki-koukuu-pairotto).
> It is a new word to me. I've never used it before. This is because my business field is different from avion.
> We say 操縦士（soujyuu-shi)(polot) and 副操縦士（fuku-soujyuu-shi)(co-pilot) sometimes.
> We usually say chief pilot 機長　（ki-chou) and 副操縦士（fuku-soujyuu-shi)(co-pilot)
> 
> I don't know the difference of Captain and First Officer. *Captain = pilot; officer in charge of a plane/flight. First Officer = co-pilot; second officer in charge of a plane/flight. *
> Do you mean Captain is the chief-pilot and First Officer is the co-pilot? Chief Pilot is the number one pilot in the entire airline, ichiban pairotto, the senior pilot in the entire airline, and they don't fly as much anymore in this position, they mainly supervise the entire crew of pilots from a desk
> 
> And I don't know other kind of specific pilot.
> For example you distingush airline pilots and air force pilots, don't you?
> 
> We say Japanese air force pilots are 自衛隊のパイロット (jieitai-no-pairotto).
> We would rather say JAL-no-pairotto (pilot of Janaese airline) instead of teiki-koukuu-pairotto.
> 
> Thanks.


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## masatom

Thank you BocaJuniors.
Your advice helpes me a lot.

I've learned the difference of Captain and  Chief Pilot.
And it is interesting to know that *First* Officer is *second* officer in charge of a plane.

I think it is interesting phenomenon to use first for second. It reminds me of how to count our floor.
For exam) AE  1st floor= BE  ground
          AE  2nd floor= BE 1st floor

And I know now that I'm not familiar with jargon of aviation and I am not proper to this thread. My reply is ordinary Japanese's one.

Thanks.


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## qweasd77

Thank you Masatom. As BocaJuniors said the Captain is the one in command of that specific flight and sits in the left seat. The First Officer is copilot and sits in the right seat. 

Here in the US a Chief Pilot is a pilot who is in management, but does not fly on a regular basis. He is not necessarily the most senior or most experienced pilot in the airline. As Boca said he supervise pilots from a desk and would be the overall boss for pilots.


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## masatom

Thank you again.

So,
The Captain who is the one in command of that specific flight and sits in the left seat is called *kichou* in Japanese. *Ki* means airplain. *chou *means the captain
And the First Officer who sits in the right seat is called *fuku-soujyuu-shi* in Japanese. *fuku* means co-. *soujyuu* menas steering, flying, driving. *shi* means person.

And the pilot of space-craft is called *uchuu-hikoushi* in Japanese.
*uchuu *means space, universe.  *hikou* means fly, flight. *shi *means person.

But the pilot of air-craft is not called *hikoushi* but *soujyuushi* in Japanese.

And the pilot of domestic airline is called *kokunaisenn-no pairotto* in Japanese.
The pilot of international airline is called *kokusaisenn-no pairotto* in Japanese.

Thanks again.


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## BocaJuniors

masatom said:


> Thank you BocaJuniors. *You're welcome, always a pleasure *
> Your advice helpes me a lot.
> 
> I've learned the difference of Captain and Chief Pilot.
> And it is interesting to know that *First* Officer is *second* officer in charge of a plane. *<< I liked your explanation better than mine   the "first" is actually the "second" ... odd and funny ... but that's exactly how it is   Cheers.*
> 
> I think it is interesting phenomenon to use first for second. It reminds me of how to count our floor.
> For exam) AE 1st floor= BE ground
> AE 2nd floor= BE 1st floor
> 
> And I know now that I'm not familiar with jargon of aviation and I am not proper to this thread. My reply is ordinary Japanese's one.
> 
> Thanks.


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## Flaminius

Hi

Airline pilot is 旅客機パイロット.


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## masatom

Thank you Flaminius.

I think 旅客機パイロット　is much better than 定期航空パイロット.

But I would like to ask you,"do you use 旅客機パイロット　yourself?"
I don't say that way.  I would say 旅客機のパイロット.
I want to hear from you. Thank you.


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## Flaminius

Thank you for thanking me, *masatom*.  Since we have already shown how we can live up to the idea of 敬相待如賓, could we loosen up a bit?  I don't know about you but too much protocol gives me a stiff neck.  

Now, I use neither 旅客機パイロット nor 旅客機のパイロット in everyday life.  I'd say 飛行機のパイロット to mean a pilot who carries passengers on board a large aircraft.  It's hardly an accurate term but 飛行機 here seems to have been established as a synecdoche referring to a civil, regular connection large enough to leave airplane tracks.

Writing is a whole another matter.  Not having anything to do with aviation, I find 旅客機のパイロット explanatory enough but I think I will be using 旅客機パイロット after a few instances of the former will have made me familiar with the concept.  The latter looks more official without coming across very pompous at the same time.


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