Aviation Gifts That Don’t Suck
You’re probably here because you want to gift a Discovery Flight to a friend or relative but also want something to hand them when you surprise them with their gift. Am I right? Alright, let’s get to it! Here’s my every day recommendations for how to make your aviation gift unique, memorable special!
First, you’ll probably want a card, maybe serious or funny or even over the top cheesy. Look no further than Etsy, you can find all manner of such cards there. But if you want to make it really special make your own card.
Inspirational books
Flight of passage - Easily my favorite aviation story! The book is a recounting of Rinker Buck and his brother’s epic trip across the United States as 15 and 17 year olds in their Piper J-3 Cub becoming the youngest to fly across the country.
Ferry pilot: nine lives over the Atlantic - Whew, grab something to hold onto because this one will have you on the edge of your seat. Author Kerry McCauley spent over 30 years ferrying planes over the Atlantic and around the world and has the stories to prove it.
Devotion: an epic story of heroism, friendship, and sacrifice - I couldn’t put this book down! It’s the inspirational story of the first African American Navy carrier pilot who flew over the skies of Korea. Jesse Brown, a sharecropper's son from Mississippi defended a nation that wouldn't even serve him in a bar.
Flying Free: my victory over fear to become the first Latina pilot on the US Aerobatic Team - The title says it all!
Educational books
Complete Idiot’s Guide to Flying and Gliding ($15)- Laugh if you want but there’s a lot to be learned from a dummies guide. Also makes a great flight bag companion, hand it to passengers as you close the door and ask them to look up the “how to start an airplane” chapter for you.
Private Pilot Blueprint (free) - I often recommend this as a starting point for anyone looking for a flight school or Flight Instructor. It includes many great common sense items as well as bigger picture goals to consider. Grab it from the author’s website for free!
Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge ($14) - The definitive guide and learning resource published by the FAA. Although it can be downloaded for free from the FAA having a soft cover paper version is always a good resource to have on hand.
Bush & Mountain Flying ($29) - Nothing can wet an aviation appetite like reading about a man’s bush flying experience and wisdom. Author “CC” Milne Pocock (featured on Discovery) deals out advanced techniques and procedures for backcountry flying from his years of experience. Look him up on YouTube!
Private Pilot Checkride Preparation and Study Guide ($12) - The only book I keep in my flight bag! It’s like carrying a mini library around with you, it’s shockingly full of details.
Pilot Gear
Pilot Logbook ($9) - One of the first items a student will need and that will be memorable for years to come is a pilot logbook. There are many to choose from and some even are pink! You can’t really go wrong, but if in doubt I recommend the one linked (Gleim). Make it extra special and include a leather cover.
Sporty’s Deluxe Learn to Fly Kit ($499) - Almost everything a student would need to prep and pass the Private Pilot License course except a great Flight Instructor (a-hem) and airplane. Or purchase only the online ground school course for $249.
Foreflight Digital Subscription ($99) - As your aviator progresses in training they’ll eventually need aeronautical charts. Nowadays we use iPads loaded with moving maps, gps tracking, real time traffic info, etc. all wrapped up in an app, or electronic flight bag (EFB). The most common resource for this today is Foreflight. Their training will include learning with paper charts first, but many choose to overlay this training with an EFB. Paper charts are always a great gift too, grab them here.
Vintage Aircraft Stow Bags ($99) - It’s easy to go down a black hole of cheesy aviation gifts, there’s plenty! This is where Red Canoe of Canada stands out. Inspired by the pilots, stories and beauty of flying in Canada, founder Dax Wilkinson created a line of branded stow bags from iconic brands such as Cessna, Boeing and NASA. A memorable gift your aviator will love for years! Also check out their stickers, patches and other vintage aviation products.
Other
Flying airplanes unfortunately means burning hydrocarbons and as we all know that is less than ideal for us and this giant rock we call home. While electric airplanes are on the horizon they still are not available as an option to most of us. How about offsetting your student’s carbon footprint? It’s actually easier than one might expect! A quick read of this post by author Adam Fowler offers some useful insights. Doing some quick math, one could offset 100hrs of flying a typical general aviation training aircraft burning 6-9 gallons an hour for less than $100 on Cool Effect. To ballpark your student’s tonnes to be offset use 5-8 tonnes. The math is: 9 gals/hr x 8.31kg = 74.79kg/per hour; converted to tonnes is .07479 tonne x 100hrs = 7.48 tonnes needed to be offset; pro tip: tonne is the same way of saying metric ton.
Pilot Swag
Culver Decorative Prop ($varies) - Who wouldn’t want a handmade wood propeller above their mantel or over their desk? Handmade in Missouri these props are made to order and will delight for years. They also make real props if you need one for your Wright Flyer replica…are you done with that yet?
Windsock ($39.95) - Are you even a pilot if you don’t have a windsock? Note that windsock frame is sold separate.
Simulator Yoke and Pedals ($499) - Honeycomb Alpha Yoke + Bravo Throttle Quadrant Bundle is the best thing going for home simulators. Combine it with the latest Microsoft Flight Simulator ($129) or X-Plane 11 Flight Simulator ($59.99) to make someones day.
Custom Pilot Bobble Head ($89) - No kidding, you can send myfacebobbleheads.com a picture of your aviator and they can custom make a bobble head of them!
Gifts for Kiddos
For the kiddo I recommend your local toy store. Sure, you can hunt online but you’re searches are going to turn up a lot of cheap junk. In Nashville I recommend Phillips Toy Mart, they have a great selection of aviation toys, models and things that fly! There’s nothing like being a kid again and hunting the isles of your local toy store.
That said, if you need one recommendation for a kiddo 3-6 years old and need to purchase online I’d recommend the award winning Hess Cargo Plane and Jet. It’s built for many years of abuse, it has lights makes all the right noises and even has retractable gear!
That’s it! The list is always growing as I discover new products. Have a recommendation? Leave it in the comments below please and thanks.