1. Small aircraft designed for personal or recreational flying, typically seating fewer than ten passengers and powered by piston engines.
Usage: Usually plural or used as a mass noun; also written as 'light planes' (two words); Common in aviation and general aviation contexts

Examples

• Many pilots start their careers flying lightplanes before moving to larger commercial aircraft.
• The airfield is equipped with hangars for storing lightplanes.
• Lightplanes are popular for bush flying in remote areas.
• She rented a lightplane for a scenic tour of the coastline.
• Lightplanes require less runway space than commercial jets.
• The club maintains a fleet of lightplanes for flight training.