Crossword Genius

Pilot ace through until war's end (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

aviator

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'pilot' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'ace through until war's end' is the wordplay.
'ace' becomes 'a' (abbreviation).
'through' becomes 'via' (via means going through).
'until' becomes 'to' (I've seen this in other clues).
'war's end' becomes 'r' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should believe this answer much more).
'a'+'via'+'to'+'r'='AVIATOR'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for aviator that I've seen before include "Pilot of plane" , "Ace, say," , "Aircraft pilot" , "He travels up" , "Navigator of the air" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.