#balloonist

• Aeronaut — A specialized or authorized person who navigates through the atmosphere using an aerostat, an airship, or a balloon; a pilot or member of the flight crew operating an aircraft lighter than air. In a historical sense, the term designates the pioneers of atmospheric flights who paved the way for airspace exploration.
• Female aeronaut — A woman specialized in aerial navigation, who pilots or belongs to the flight crew of an aerostat, balloon, or airship. The term highlights the female contribution to the development of atmospheric navigation, including both the daring women from the pioneering era of aerostation and modern female specialists in lighter-than-air flight.
• Balloonist — A soldier or civil specialist structurally trained to pilot, launch, monitor, and maintain an aerostat or a captive observation balloon. In a historical military sense, these soldiers played a crucial tactical role during early modern conflicts, ascending to high altitudes in open gondolas to direct artillery fire and report enemy troop movements.