jump pilot n.

one who pilots a spaceship through a jump n.

FTL

  • 1983 in N. Spinrad Void Captain’s Tale (front flap) page image Norman Spinrad bibliography

    Voyages consist of instantaneous transitions, Jumps, triggered by the Pilot’s completion of the Jump Circuit…. On the way to his latest ship command, Void Captain Genro trades name tales with an attractive woman—who turns out to be his new Jump Pilot.

  • 1986 L. M. Bujold Warrior’s Apprentice v. 64 page image Lois McMaster Bujold bibliography

    You want to be a jump pilot. You can only be a jump pilot for an RG ship. This is the last RG ship. Ergo, what you need is this ship. So get it.

  • 1988 L. M. Bujold Falling Free 22 Lois McMaster Bujold bibliography

    Each Jump pilot, neurologically wired to his ship to navigate the wavering realities of wormhole space, made two hops a day, inbound to Rodeo with empty pod bundles and back out again with cargo, followed by a day off; two months on duty followed by a month’s unpaid but compulsory gravity leave, usually financially augmented with shuttle duties.

  • 2003 A. Thomson Storyteller 3 Amy Thomson bibliography

    The ancient freighter’s Jump pilot had been pushing ships through Jump space for nearly forty years.

  • 2005 D. Marusek Counting Heads (2007) 242 David Marusek bibliography

    In three months, the brave jump pilots seated behind me will begin to ferry colonists down to the surface. Naturally, everyone wants to be on the first historic landing. Who those lucky people will be depends upon the launch order of the jumpships.

  • 2015 S. Lee & S. Miller Dragon in Exile 37 page image Steve Miller Sharon Lee bibliography

    Leather on a Liaden meant Jump pilot or Scout. Or both. Usually. There were those who were unwise enough to wear leather they had not earned.

Research requirements

any evidence 1988
Earliest cite

Lois McMaster Bujold, "Falling Free"
Research History
Suggested by Amber Howard.
Amber Howard submitted a 1988 cite from Lois McMaster Bujold's "Falling Free"
Amber Howard submitted a 2003 cite from Amy Thomson's "Storyteller" Amber Howard submitted a 2007 cite from David Marusek's "Counting Heads"
Michael Dolbear submitted a cite from a 1992 reprint of Lois McMaster Bujold's "The Warrior's Apprentice"; Jesse Sheidlower verified it in the 1986 first publication.

Amber Howard suggested "Grimspace" by Ann Aguirre, and "The Hidden Worlds" or "Cold Minds" by Kristin Landon as likely sources for further cites.

There is earlier evidence for the sense 'a person who pilots an airplane for parachuters'.

Last modified 2022-12-30 14:19:31
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.