noun
military aviator; airman
Refers to a soldier who flies an aircraft, typically in a military context. The term is straightforward and not particularly common in everyday conversation.
彼は空軍の飛行兵として訓練を受けた。
He trained as a military aviator in the air force.
航空兵 is a broader term for 'air force personnel' or 'airman', not necessarily a pilot, whereas 飛行兵 emphasizes the flying role.
Compound of 飛行 (hikō, 'flight') and 兵 (hei, 'soldier'). The term is a straightforward Sino-Japanese coinage for a military aviator.