Aeronautics is the science and practice of aerial locomotion, i.e. of flying by aircraft.

It is subdivided into:

• Aerostation — the flying of lighter than air aircraft
• Aviation — the flying of heavier than air aircraft

The term is often the subject of some confusion, as an aeronaut is the pilot of a lighter-than-air vehicle (i.e., someone involved in aerostation). As such, the two terms do not relate to exactly the same areas of human flight.

See also

• Aerostation
• Aviation
• Aircraft
• Aerodyne
• Aerostat
• Astronautics
• Spacecraft
• Mechanics of fluids
• Aerodynamics
• Aerostatics
• Hydrodynamics
• Hydrostatics
• Aeronautical abbreviations