Record-breaking athlete is a handy help on a flight, you say? (9)
I believe the answer is:
bannister
'flight you say?' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'record-breaking athlete is a handy help' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'is' is present in the answer.
'a' could be 'an' and 'an' is found within the answer.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).
'on a' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for bannister that I've seen before include "Handrail on a staircase" , "safety feature for flight" , "Famous runner" , "Railing on a staircase" , "Roger --, four-minute miler" .)