Quick Links A unique and useful item for everyday use Airplane tags Model aircraft Apparel Aviation-themed games Literature Merry Christmas
It can be very hard to find the right gift for a person. Every gift giver desires to give something that will truly demonstrate how much they appreciate someone and that will truly be appreciated and remembered by the receiver. A good gift demonstrates that the giver is in tune with the receivers' interests and passions and is a token of humility that puts the other person first.
Much could be said about gift giving and the thought behind it. Gift giving at Christmas is not merely the exchange of material possessions. Jeffrey A. Tucker writes in The Epoch Times:
"The materialism of our times makes it all the more crucial that we understand that it is not ultimately about the thing but the idea. And that idea is the dignity and value of each individual person."
Indeed, when all is said and done, it is the thought and the attitude of truly caring for others that matters. So don't stress, it may be really hard to find the perfect gift for an avgeek and that is okay. Don't be afraid to ask them what they would like. In the meantime, here are a few ideas for Christmas gifts that will put a smile on the face of any aviation aficionado.
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Often, the best gifts are those items that can be used every day yet tips a hat to the person's allegiances and passions. At the Air Hub Store, one can find a variety of Airbus or Boeing themed items that range from unique desktop clocks to pens. One such item is a Boeing-themed travel bag that is sure to remind people of the popular slogan, "if it's not Boeing, I'm not going." The nylon bag from Red Canoe boasts sturdy handles and an adjustable strap. It measures 26 by 23 by 50 cm, making it a useful size for everyday use. If the Boeing travel bag is not up to one's taste, they might enjoy the Airbus-themed carbon fiber pen that shows off their loyalty to their favorite manufacturer of airliners.
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Indeed, pens make a nice gift for everyday use. It is interesting to note how many people value a collection of good pens that show off their loyalties. One pen that any avgeek may enjoy is the P-51 Mustang themed Retro 51 Tornado Fountain Pen. This pen from the Goulet Pen Company "is acid-etched and printed to recreate the iconic WWII fighter plane." If Fountain pens are not their taste, maybe the slightly less expensive, Corsair-themed or PANAM Clipper Retro rollerball pen will put a smile on their face.
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Airplane tags
A more recent development, aviation tags have become an increasingly popular gift for airplane enthusiasts. These tags are made from the aluminum skin of retired aircraft. These can range from retired airliners to historic aircraft. Each tag bears the unique features of the airplane it came from. One company, Aviationtag, remarks on this process:
"The Aviationtags themselves consist of 100% original and authentic aircraft skin. The origin of the material can be traced back to the original delivery of the aircraft and we always provide our customers with important and interesting information on the history of the aircraft."
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Aviationtag offers tags made from the skin of a recently retired Corsair Boeing 747 to aircraft like the historic English Electric Canberra. Another company, Planetags, has a large selection that varies from types such as a scrapped A380 that served with Qantas, a Boeing 727 from Northwest, or an F-14 Tomcat. The selections are diverse, but quantities are limited, making these tags a great collection item.
Model aircraft
Another great gift that every avgeek will enjoy is a model aircraft. The selections are great. Online stores like the Aircraft Model Store (AMS) in the UK or the Airplane Shop in the USA have a vast collection of model brands, aircraft types, and airline companies to choose from. There are highly detailed models, desktop models, and even toy airplanes for children. AMS and the Airplane Shop also ship worldwide. The price range of aircraft models vary widely and are based on the quality, materials, and detail of the models. Some shops, like Custom Air Models, will build any aircraft the customer desires:
"We can build any plane you want... Hand carved from solid mahogany and hand painted to showroom quality. We attach every accessory reproducible for true to life accuracy."
They include every detail right down to the aircraft registration. If someone has a connection to or special memory of a specific airplane, this is the way to go.
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When it's cold, a lot of aviators like to wear a classic leather bomber jacket. It's practical and yet stylish, and reminiscent of the days when aviation was a lot more adventurous. That said, a gift an avgeek may appreciate and that is a little more representative of the jet age and those who broke the sound barrier is the Alpha Industries CWU-45 Flight Jacket. This quilted nylon jacket is not only comfortable and stylish, but also very functional and warm. Alpha Industries offers it in black, blue, gey, or tsage gree. The CWU-45 is still issued to pilots in the USAF and USN to this day. When the weather is cold this flight jacket will keep any plane spotter comfortably warm.
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For those in warmer climates, an airplane-themed polo or button-up shirt such as those sold at Sportys will most certainly draw admiration. There is a wide selection of prints available, but the "Takeoff at Sunset Short Sleeve" shirt will most likely bring a smile. Sportys claims, "it's as comfortable as it is good-looking." This is the kind of shirt that makes someone want to sit on Maho Beach in Sint Maarten. But if that is not possible, it will turn any beach into a plane spotters paradise.
Related What Are The Best Beaches For Plane Spotting
Maho Beach, on the approach path to Princess Juliana International Airport, is indisputably the world's most famous airplane spotting beach. Located on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten, the spot is a highlight for locals and tourists and famously received Boeing 747 flights from KLM. Beaches surrounding Gibraltar, Cyprus, and Barcelona airports are also popular with plane spotters. Scotland is even home to a beach runway on the Island of Barra. Phuket hosts one of Asia's most famous plane-spotting locations, and rumors of a secret beach near Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport abound. What are some of the best beach-spotting locations you have found?
Posts Aviation-themed games
For the airplane fan that is ready for some competition, the board game Pan Am is most certain to be a huge hit. Named after the iconic airline, Pan Am is a board game similar to the popular railroad-themed Ticket to Ride, but now the goal is dominance of the world's air routes. Step back into the golden age of air travel, pioneer routes around the world, trade stocks, earn profits, buy new planes, and do everything that Pan Am did, but don't go bankrupt.
Another game that is proving to be popular (in fact, supply is not keeping up with demand) is called Sky Team. No, this is not named after the airline alliance, rather this is a game for two people. Thirsty Meeples describes the game as :
"a co-operative game, exclusively for two players, in which you play a pilot and co-pilot at the controls of an airliner. Your goal is to work together as a team to land your airplane in different airports around the world."
To play the game, players assign the dice to the correct spaces in order to control the plane to a safe landing. Sky Team comes with multiple airports and scenarios to work through, and additional challenges can be added to the game.
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One of the greatest aviation books of all time, Ernest K Gann's Fate is the Hunter is a classic and must-read for any avgeek. Ernest tells of the early days of commercial aviation and describes the life of a commercial pilot in those days when the DC-3 was the world's most prolific airliner and new things were being learned every day about flight, weather, and limitations. A review from The Chicago Tribune describes this masterpiece of literature:
"This purely wonderful autobiographical volume is the best thing on flying and the meaning of flying that we have had since Antoine de Saint-Exupéry took us aloft on his winged prose in the late 1930s and early 1940s.... It is a splendid and many-faceted personal memoir that is not only one man's story but the story, in essence, of all men who fly."
Photo: Bookshop
Indeed, though this book was written long ago, it is a timeless aviation treasure. Readers will not be able to put this book down as they sit with Ernest in the cockpit and learn what it was like to fly in those days. New prints can still be bought at places like My Pilot Store, but used prints are also abundant.
Photo: IWM Merry Christmas
There are a multitude of great gifts to give to an avgeek. From award-winning IWM Spitfire themed Gin to old airline memorabilia there is no shortage of gifts to be found. Simple Flying has provided just a few ideas here, but even if these items do not match one's particular taste, the stores listed have a wide selection of aviation gear.
When all is said and done, it's the thought that truly matters and while a great deal of time can be taken trying to find the right gift, it's important to remember that meaningful time in the company of friends is the best gift. In the end, don't fret too much over finding the perfect gift and make sure to give folks your time and attention.
That said, regardless of where our readers are in the world, Simple Flying thanks you and wishes you a Merry Christmas and all the best in the coming New Year.
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