aeronautics

/ˌɛrəˈnɔtɪks/

If you have a passion for airplanes and other aircraft, you might be destined for a career in aeronautics, which is the study and design of flying machines within the atmosphere.

Whether your interest lies in building aircraft or flying planes, you can describe your area of interest as aeronautics. The term aviation can also be used, although it typically doesn't include airships or dirigibles, like blimps and zeppelins. The word aeronautics literally means "sailing the air," from the Greek roots aero, "air," and nautikē, "navigation."

Definitions of aeronautics

1. noun

   the theory and practice of navigation through air or space
   synonyms: astronautics

   types:

   avionics

   science and technology of electronic systems and devices for aeronautics and astronautics

   type of:

   natural philosophy, physics

   the science of matter and energy and their interactions

   aerospace

   the branch of science related to space flight and aviation