Aircraft controller alien or otherwise (7)
I believe the answer is:
aileron
'aircraft controller' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'alien or otherwise' is the wordplay.
'otherwise' indicates anagramming the letters.
'alien'+'or'='alienor'
'alienor' is an anagram of 'AILERON'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for aileron that I've seen before include "Trailing-edge flap" , "Aircraft's wing foil that controls lateral motion" , "Wing control flap" , "Movable part of an aircraft wing" , "seen on the wing" .)