instrument flying

noun

: navigation of an airplane by instruments only

Examples of instrument flying in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Seip was was one of the first women to join the Wisconsin Civil Air Patrol, teaching instrument flying to military pilots. Evan Casey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 May 2021 For six weeks last summer the DC-8 and a pair of Twin Otters similarly quilled with atmospheric-sampling instruments flew through more than 100 different columns. Kyle Dickman, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2020 The aircraft is equipped for instrument flying for operators licensed to do so — even with a solo pilot. New York Times, 30 Jan. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of instrument flying was in 1924

Dictionary Entries Near instrument flying

Cite this Entry

“Instrument flying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instrument%20flying. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!