To those people who are celebrating their first holiday season as aviators—you have just become so much easier to shop for. For the rest of your aviation career, you can expect to get at least one aviation-related gift every holiday and every birthday. This is not a bad thing.
If you are on the other side of the equation, looking for something for the pilot in your life, this column was created for you.
For the Student Pilot
If the pilot is in the early phases of their training, pilot supplies in the form of a gear bag, headset, E6-B, plotter, logbook, FARAIM, and textbooks if they are enrolled in a face-to-face ground school are appropriate, as the complete ground school kit can be $400 or more just for these supplies and the class itself a couple hundred more.
Check with the ground school provider for the dates of the class and what materials are required before you commit.
If a self-paced online course would be more appropriate, there are many to choose from.
Sporty’s, King Schools, Gold Seal, ASA, and Av8Prep.com are a few to consider.
If the student does best with self-study and paper books (some folks need the tactile interface to fully absorb the material), you might consider getting them the current FAR/AIM, the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK), and the Airplane Flying Handbook. If they have already begun their flying lessons, they may benefit from the Visualized Flight Maneuvers Handbook from ASA—it comes in both high-wing and low-wing versions. Ask the pilot what type of aircraft they are flying to make sure you get the right one.
If the person you are shopping for has an interest in aviation but isn’t of age to take lessons yet, the PHAK and Visualized Maneuvers are a great combination, encourage their interest, and usually won’t break the bank.
Gift Certificates For Flight
Intro flights are big business for some flight schools around the holidays.
These are flown on good weather days. The flight itself is usually about half an hour to an hour in a dual-control airplane with a certificated flight instructor providing guidance. You don’t have to make the flight that day—you usually call to schedule it.
The person who takes the reservation will ask how tall and heavy the flight guest is because aircraft are size and weight restrictive. If you’re not sure, go with 200 lbs. They may only weigh 175, but it’s better to be conservative. The cockpit of the airplane is tighter than the cockpit of a 1960s-era VW Beetle. You don’t want them to show up at the airport and not be able to fly because the aircraft is too small for them.
For the More Experienced Pilot
If the person you are buying for is already actively training, money on account toward more flying time at the flight school is always in good taste, but let the trainee be the one to put the money on account when they are ready to do so.
There are some schools that charge an “administrative fee” when money is put on account, and even if the learner doesn’t fly for several weeks or months, that fee applies, and the money you put on account can shrink down to nothing. Getting a refund can be next to impossible at some places, and there may also be a “30 percent handling fee” involved.
Offer to Pay for Their Next Check Ride (or Part of It)
Check rides, the aviation version of a driver’s test, usually cost north of $400, and that is just the examiner’s fee. If you can contribute and soften the blow, it will likely be greatly appreciated.
Stocking Stuffers
Full disclosure: I always have a flashlight, duct tape, a Swiss Army knife, or a multi-tool on me—I am my father’s daughter and he wasn’t about to let me go on my first Girl Scout campout unless I was prepared to be dropped behind enemy lines. I found this level of preparation very valuable. I’ve lost count of how many times I have deployed these items in the aircraft.
Duct tape—first available in olive drab, then silver gray, and eventually fashion colors and prints—grew out of military tape used during World War II to make repairs in the field. During the Vietnam War it became known as 100-mile-per-hour tape because it was allegedly used to make repairs on aircraft that were flying at that speed. In a civilian aircraft it is useful when you need to secure an oil access door or even fix the spine on the aircraft dispatch binder or wrap a fraying headset cord. For the record, speed tape is different from duct tape, as it is much stronger and therefore more expensive.
You also can’t go wrong with an aviation flashlight. In addition to having a white beam, they have other color options that allow the user to preserve their night vision in the cockpit. They come in green, amber, red, and blue; some have two or three color options in addition to white.
Every pilot should carry a multi-tool in their gear bag. There are plenty to choose from out there. When selecting a multi-tool, aim for one that is full-sized. Those keychain designs are cute, but I think they are too little to be away from their mother—a full-size one works better in and around the airplane.
If you opt for a Swiss Army knife, get the one that has the pen as one of the tools. No joke: there is something about having that Swiss Army pen at your disposal when the other writing implement fails or disappears that impresses people. I have picked up multiple clients by using it.
Gifts for CFIs
If you are planning a gift for your CFI, you cannot go wrong with a gift card to his or her favorite coffee place, restaurant, or grocery store. The brutal fact is that most CFIs are not well paid, and every little bit helps. If the CFI has a pet, a gift card to the local pet supply store is also a nice thought.
Thanks for thinking of us, and Merry Christmas!
