5 Gift Ideas for Pilots by a Pilot

So, do you have someone in your family or circle of friends who is a pilot, and deserves a great Christmas or Holidays gift this season? Whether it is an airline pilot, a commercial pilot, a private pilot or even a sport and recreational pilot, it doesn't matter. The pilot gift ideas list that I have created below is a compilation of excellent gifts items that all pilots need, want, and can always use. My idea about a gift is something that is useful for a very long time, and something that will always be in season.

You will notice that the gifts list that I have here is items that pilots of all kinds always have a use for. Headsets, Logbooks, Flight-bags, Aviation or pilot watches, these are the things that are always in style, well, they always have been in style forever already, and even if the pilot already has one, it will be replaced with a new one as soon as you give him/her one! And the old ones never get thrown away either - get the idea?

All pilots, no matter what, where and why they fly, use aviation headsets. And even if they already own a couple, a newer one is always welcome and appreciated. The best gift for any pilot is always a great high-end aviation headset.

Technology keeps evolving, so every year we see newer headsets with newer and better features. The topmost on the list is comfort and the next is quality of sound. Cheap and low-end headsets do not score very well on either one of these qualities. Headsets are a pilot's constant tool of trade. Think about it - the headset is always with the pilot, on the pilot while he/she is in that pilot seat!And if it is a good quality headset, he/she will always remember and be thankful to the person who got it for him/her.

Here are the top 2 aviation headsets in the world that any pilot would die for. Both Bose and Lightspeed Zulu are great for any pilot for any occasion. Pick either one, and you will not miss seeing that glow in your pilot's eyes!

What is a pilot's Flight Bag? This is the bag that you will see every pilot carrying around with him/her, irrespective of what type of flying the pilot is involved in. The bag carries everything inside, pilot headsets, flight manuals, navigation charts, flight planning equipment, aircraft manuals, pilot checklists, back-up navigation and communication equipment, airports facilities directories, IFR approach plates and so forth.

Some even carry a copy or two or playboy or playgirl with them in the flight bag. Well, maybe not. Those are not carried inside the flight bag. Everything has a place for it, and the flight bag is not for these. Just like aviation headsets, pilots usually own more than one flight bag, and they will never throw away an older one either. These type of pilot goodies usually get passed down to the newer generations in time. Just FYI. Especially if they are good quality materials and workmanship. Here are my recommendations for the pilot flight bags as a gift for a pilot this Christmas.

No one can ever go wrong by gifting any pilot a nice pair of aviator sunglasses! This was true 50 years ago, this is true today, and this will be true in another 1000 years. I write regularly on another site, and I have written a series of articles on how to select sunglasses for pilots. If you wish to read more on this topic, you can go there and read all about how to make a wise choice. But, here in this article I will simply go ahead and make my recommendations on 4 different sunglasses for you to select from to gift the special pilot in your life.

When selecting the right sunglasses as a gift for the pilot, a few things have to be kept in mind, like: polarization, tint, coatings, photo-chromic qualities, frames, lens materials, shape, ergonomics, safety features, eye protection and emergency protection features, etc.

Of course there are hundreds of choices to chose from, but here is the top of my wish list as a pilot.

A pilot logbook is where all the pilots, from sport pilots, private pilots to professional commercial airline pilots, log each and every single minute of their flight time. If they are in training, or on job, it doesn't make a difference. And just like all other pilot paraphernalia, a pilot's logbook is a piece of history that stays in the family for generations and make everyone proud.

There are many choices again when it comes down to selecting a pilot logbook as a gift for a pilot. However, the 2 topmost ones are presented here. Remember, there is no limit to how many logbooks a pilot has. When one is complete, he/she has to start a fresh new one. and some pilots even start a new logbook each year. My first pilot logbook was a gift from a girlfriend at the time (over 20 years ago), and you can still see all the love notes she wrote for me on the last protective page!! Great memories. Gift a pilot a logbook this Christmas.

You must have realized by now that my pilot gift idea list contains items which every pilot can use, and will always appreciate owning more than one. Here is the last one in this list. If you like what you read so far, please do visit my General Aviation and Flight Training Blog as well. The link is at the bottom of this page.

Aviator watches always make a great gift for any occasion. Like the pilot / aviator sunglasses, an aviator watch can be given as a gift to someone who is not a pilot, but appreciates finer things in life. Gift someone an aviator watch as a gift, whether a pilot or not, and you will see the instant gleam and appreciation in his/her eyes. And this may be their 10th or even 100th watch, but I promise you it will be treated as a treasure, never to be parted with and will become a part of proud family inheritance.

So this is it! My top 5 list of Gift Ideas for Pilots for the Christmas or any other occasion. And like I said earlier, if you liked what you read here, please do visit my other General Aviation blog as well. The link to that is at the bottom of this page.

And also, please dont forget to leave a comment. If you have any questions, you can post those here as well and I'd be happy to reply back. I am a pilot and a flight instructor of 20 years, and aviation is what I breath, sleep and eat.

Happy Holidays.