Junior sky pilot initially up aboard old plane (6)
I believe the answer is:
curate
'junior sky pilot' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps you can see a link between them that I don't see?
'initially up aboard old plane' is the wordplay.
'initially' suggests taking the first letters.
'aboard' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'old plane' becomes 'crate' (informal term for an old vehicle).
The initial letter of 'up' is 'u'.
'u' put inside 'crate' is 'CURATE'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for curate that I've seen before include "Member of the clergy" , "Organize a museum or exhibition" , "Priest, a vicar's assistant" , "A truce for the church minister" , "Parson" .)