Sort of acid fighter pilot given time in charge (6)
I believe the answer is:
acetic
'sort of acid' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'fighter pilot given time in charge' is the wordplay.
'fighter pilot' becomes 'ace' (an ace pilot).
'given' says to put letters next to each other.
'time' becomes 't' (abbreviation).
'in charge' becomes 'ic' (abbreviation for 'in charge').
'ace'+'t'+'ic'='ACETIC'
(Other definitions for acetic that I've seen before include "sort of acid" , "Type of acid derived from vinegar" , "Tasting like vinegar" , "Colourless pungent acid" , "Vinegar-like" .)