pilots
pilots — noun
- pilotssingular
- pilotsesplural
1. a person who operates an aircraft, flying passengers, cargo, or military equipme
a person who operates an aircraft, flying passengers, cargo, or military equipment from one place to another.
The pilot announced that the flight would arrive twenty minutes late.
pilot + announce + flight — typical subject-verb-object pattern
Bao has worked as a commercial pilot for a Taiwanese airline since 2018.
work as + commercial pilot
Every pilot must pass a medical examination once a year.
After twelve years as a fighter pilot, Megan retired from the air force.
文法句型
pilot + of + [airline/institution]
用法筆記
Often modified by a type of aircraft or employer: fighter pilot, airline pilot, helicopter pilot, test pilot.
常見錯誤
2. a person with expert knowledge of a local port, river, or coastline who boards a
a person with expert knowledge of a local port, river, or coastline who boards a ship to steer it safely through that area.
A harbour pilot boarded the tanker to guide it past the sandbanks.
board + to guide — purpose infinitive after action verb
The port authority requires every cargo ship over 10,000 tons to take a pilot.
take a pilot — common maritime collocation
Lien has been a river pilot on the Mississippi for almost twenty years.
Without the pilot, the container ship might have hit the rocky channel wall.
- harbour master
an official who manages the port overall, not the same as a pilot who steers individual ships
文法句型
harbour / harbor + pilot
用法筆記
Not the same as the ship's captain. A pilot is a local specialist who only takes temporary control during the port approach and departure.
3. a single episode made to test a proposed television or radio series, used to jud
a single episode made to test a proposed television or radio series, used to judge audience interest before a full season is ordered.
The network filmed a pilot for the comedy but did not order a full series.
film a pilot / order a full series — typical production collocations
Adina watched the pilot of the new drama and immediately wanted more episodes.
Only about one in every four pilots ever becomes a regular TV show.
The writer spent eight months developing the pilot for her fantasy series.
- pilot episode
fuller form, used especially when distinguishing it from a regular episode
文法句型
pilot + for + [show/series]
常見錯誤
4. a small, continuous gas flame inside a stove, boiler, water heater, or furnace t
a small, continuous gas flame inside a stove, boiler, water heater, or furnace that lights the main burner whenever the gas flow is turned on.
The pilot light on the water heater blew out, so there was no hot water.
pilot light + blow out / go out — typical verb collocations
Constanza called a plumber to relight the pilot in the gas boiler.
relight + the pilot — common repair collocation
An old gas oven often has a small blue pilot burning at the bottom.
If the pilot keeps going out, a technician should check the gas valve.
- pilot burner
more technical term; used in appliance manuals
文法句型
pilot light + of/on + [appliance]
用法筆記
Modern appliances increasingly use electronic igniters instead of a standing pilot light, so this term is more common in older homes or in reference to water heaters and furnaces.
pilots — adjective
- pilotspositive
- more pilotscomparative
- most pilotssuperlative
1. describes a limited test carried out to see whether a new scheme, item, or proce
describes a limited test carried out to see whether a new scheme, item, or process works well enough to be fully adopted later.
The school ran a pilot programme to test whether tablets helped students.
pilot programme — most frequent collocation for this sense
A pilot study with fifty patients showed that the treatment was safe.
pilot study — common academic/research collocation
The city launched a pilot project to collect kitchen waste from two hundred homes.
After the six-month pilot scheme, the bus route was extended to all districts.
- trial
broader; a trial can be a test of anything, while 'pilot' specifically suggests a small-scale forerunner of something larger
- experimental
focuses on testing an idea rather than preparing for a full rollout
文法句型
pilot + [project/study/scheme/programme]
用法筆記
Only used attributively (before a noun). You will not hear 'The plan is pilot' — instead say 'The plan is a trial' or 'We are running a pilot project.'
常見錯誤
pilots — verb
- pilotspresent simple I / you / we / they
- pilotses3rd person singular
- pilotsing-ing form
- pilotsedpast simple
1. to operate and control an aircraft, taking it through the sky from one place to
to operate and control an aircraft, taking it through the sky from one place to another.
Liam piloted the small plane from Taipei to Taitung in under an hour.
pilot + [aircraft] + from [place] to [place] — route pattern
Rachid learned to pilot a helicopter during his training with the rescue service.
learn to pilot — infinitive complement pattern
The captain has piloted this model of jet for more than fifteen years.
During the storm, the crew piloted the aircraft using only the cockpit instruments.
文法句型
pilot + [aircraft]
pilot + [person/group] + to + [place]
用法筆記
Used more formally or professionally than 'fly'. In everyday conversation, 'fly' is more common ('I flew to Tokyo'), but 'pilot' is preferred when emphasizing skill or official duty.
常見錯誤
2. to try out a new product, service, or method on a small group of users before of
to try out a new product, service, or method on a small group of users before offering it to the general public.
The company piloted the mobile payment system in three stores before launching it nationwide.
pilot + in [location] before launching — temporal sequencing pattern
Eleni's team piloted the app with two hundred university students last semester.
The new software is being piloted in five branch offices this quarter.
Before selling the device widely, the manufacturer piloted it in rural clinics.
文法句型
pilot + [product/programme/service]
be piloted + in/at + [place]
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice, especially in business reports. The preposition 'in' indicates the location of the pilot, and 'with' indicates the test group.
3. to take charge of steering a new law, policy, or reform through all the stages u
to take charge of steering a new law, policy, or reform through all the stages until it is fully in place and working.
The minister piloted the education reform through parliament despite strong opposition.
pilot + [reform/law] + through + [institution] — the key grammatical pattern
Camille piloted the new data protection policy across all departments of the organisation.
A special committee was formed to pilot the healthcare changes through the legislative process.
It took three years to pilot the anti-pollution regulations from proposal to enactment.
文法句型
pilot + [law/reform/system] + through + [process/institution]
用法筆記
Predominantly formal and political. The most common grammatical frame is 'pilot [something] through [an institution or process]'. This sense is rarely used in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
4. to guide a ship or boat through a port, canal, or difficult stretch of water usi
to guide a ship or boat through a port, canal, or difficult stretch of water using local knowledge of currents, depths, and hazards.
Mert piloted the container ship through the narrow channel of the Panama Canal.
pilot + [vessel] + through + [waterway] — core grammatical pattern
A local specialist piloted the yacht into the crowded harbour at sunset.
The captain piloted the ferry out of the port during a heavy fog.
Without modern radar, the fishermen piloted their boats by the stars at night.
文法句型
pilot + [ship/boat] + into/through/out of + [waterway]
用法筆記
Close in meaning to noun sense 2 (SHIP GUIDE). The verb focuses on the action of steering a vessel through tricky waters, while the noun names the person who does this job.