An airman is a member of a country’s air force — someone whose work belongs to that service, on the ground or in the air. In the United States Air Force, Airman is also a rank, a junior enlisted title, so not every airman is a pilot; many never fly the plane. Older English used airman more loosely for a flying man. The -man ending gives the word a male feel; some places say airwoman, aircrew, or just air-force personnel, and many air forces still use airman for women as well as men. It is military language, not a word for a passenger on a holiday flight. Though actually, students often hear pilot first and think airman is just a fancy synonym. A pilot flies the aircraft; an airman may be a mechanic, a radio operator, or a young recruit still learning.