Airmen shot rook and seaman (7)
I believe the answer is:
mariner
'seaman' is the definition.
(I know that seaman can be written as mariner)
'airmen shot rook' is the wordplay.
'shot' indicates an anagram.
'rook' becomes 'R' (chess abbreviation).
'airmen' is an anagram of 'marine'.
'marine'+'r'='MARINER'
'and' is the link.
(Other definitions for mariner that I've seen before include "Probe" , "Jack" , "collier?" , "Seafarer, old salt" , "Sea dog" .)