Cryptic crossword clue
Very many in dish with 24 blackbirds, say? Then bird finally flew 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word PILOTED

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
P
I
L
O
T
E
D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "flew" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case flew = piloted.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does PILOTED mean?

PILOTED verb
  1. To control (an aircraft or watercraft).
  2. To guide (a vessel) through coastal waters.
  3. To test or have a preliminary trial of (an idea, a new product, etc.)

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