Definition of aviation
1 : the operation of aircraft
a pioneer in the early days of aviation a career in aviation sometimes, specifically : the operation of heavier-than-air aircraft Fascinated from that moment on by aviation, [John] Montgomery pursued pioneering experiments in the design of a heavier-than-air glider … — Kevin Starr
2 : military airplanes
carrier-based aviation
3 : airplane manufacture, development, and design
By that time, [Theodore P.] Wright already had established himself as a leading figure in American aviation.— Michael Rothschild
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Time Traveler for aviation
The first known use of aviation was in 1865
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