The FLYING Gift List
Our editors pick the best gifts for pilots this holiday season. Enter your product by Nov. 6.
Enter a productEntries open Oct. 14 and close Nov. 6, 2026.
Every holiday, pilots ask what to buy, and so do the people shopping for them. The FLYING Gift List is our answer. Brands enter products, our editors score every one, and the two highest scores in each of five categories make the list.
Editors do the scoring. Sales doesn’t.
Entry fees support the judging platform, program administration and editorial review, and help keep the field curated. They do not influence scoring, and an entry does not guarantee a win.
Five categories
Best Headset & Audio
ANR and passive headsets, intercoms and audio accessories.
Best Avionics & Cockpit Tech
Portables, wearables, trackers, apps and cockpit electronics.
Best Pilot Gadget & Accessories
Bags, kneeboards, lights, tools and everyday carry for pilots.
Best Training & Education Product
Courses, books, simulators and subscriptions.
Best Gift Under $100
Any pilot-friendly gift priced under $100.
Photos on this page are from FLYING’s editorial coverage and are shown for illustration only. They are not Gift List entries or winners, and they do not imply selection or endorsement.
How winners are chosen
Editors score each entry on usefulness to pilots, quality, value for the price and giftability. The highest score in a category is the Top Pick. The second-highest is the Standout. If fewer than two entries meet the editorial bar, we name fewer winners.
What winners get
- Placement in the Gift List feature on flyingmag.com
- A product feature in The FLYING Gift List email to 50,000+ subscribers, with an image, headline, short description and a link to buy
- A Top Pick or Standout badge with the FLYING logo, to share on your website, in your listings and on social
How to enter
- Pick your category. Choose the category that fits your product. You can enter more than one product or category, and the multi-entry rate applies at two or more entries.
- Register and pay. Create your entrant account with your name, email and company, then pay the entry fee.
- Build your entry. Open the entrant portal and complete the form for each product.
- Submit. Entries close Nov. 6, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. You will receive a confirmation email.
What makes a strong entry
Editors score each entry on usefulness to pilots, quality, value for the price and giftability. Entries that make all four easy to see do best.
- Show the product. Upload a clean main image and a gallery of sharp photos: the product from several angles, in use and in its packaging.
- Add video. A short demo or in-use clip helps editors see how it works. Add a video link, such as YouTube.
- Write in depth. Explain who it is for, the problem it solves, what is included, the key specs and what makes it different. Specific beats general.
- Be clear on price and availability. Enter the retail price, link to where it can be bought and note whether it will ship before the holidays.
- Add supporting material. Upload spec sheets or other documents that help editors evaluate it.
- Think like a gift-giver. Tell editors why a pilot would be glad to receive it.
Put your product in front of FLYING readers
FLYING readers are rated and current: 60% hold an instrument rating, 24% are CFIs or CFIIs, and 43% are owners or executives. FLYING also has 571K+ social followers, and the magazine turns 100 in 2027.
Source: FLYING 2027 Media Kit.
Winner packages
Packages are optional and offered after winners are chosen. Declining a package has no effect on winner status.
| Package | What’s included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Spotlight | Custom messaging and a discount code in your product’s feature in the Gift List email. | $1,000 |
| Amplifier | Everything in Spotlight, plus a dedicated email to 50,000+ subscribers with custom messaging. | $3,500 |
| Premier | Everything in Amplifier, plus FLYING social posts about your product and a second custom email to 50,000+ subscribers closer to the holidays. | $8,500 |
Entry fees
$300 per product.
$250 per product when you enter two or more.
Fees support the judging platform, program administration and editorial review, and help keep the field curated. They do not influence scoring.
Timeline
| Oct. 14 | Entries open |
| Nov. 6 | Entry deadline |
| Nov. 16 | Winners announced |
| Late Nov. | Gift List and email publish |
Ready to enter?
Submissions close Nov. 6, 2026.
Enter a productProgram questions: editorial@flyingmag.com
Packages and advertising: aviationsales@firecrown.com