Some links may be affiliate links. We get money if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these links on our site.
Christmas All The Time is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Gift Ideas – Flying
As Christmas draws near, consider whether or not Santa should be the only one flying around. Some of the people on your Christmas shopping list might want to spend some time in the wild blue yonder rather than getting bogged down with more tchotchkes.
Flying Lessons
Many people have “flying a plane” as one of their bucket list items. This is a very popular experience gift – and you can make a loved one’s dreams come true this Christmas season!
Most larger communities have municipal airports where you can buy a package of flying lessons for someone. If you’re not quite sure, then you may be able to find flight simulator gift packages, so they don’t really have to go up in the air just yet.
In the real flying packages, your loved one will typically get some hands on training about the basics of aviation. They’ll be riding in the co-pilot’s seat, but one the craft is up in the air, they get to handle the plane more – as much as they’re comfortable with. Most flying lessons are approximately 30 minutes long, but they can be longer. It starts with a lesson on flying safety, followed by flight tutorials. Then they take off into the deep blue sky!
If you want to avoid the plane gift, you can opt for a helicopter flying lesson instead. Light aircraft is a bit different, so the gift recipient will get instructions about the differences in takeoff, landing and in-flight elements. If the person you’re buying for may someday want to get their pilot’s license, then these training sessions often count toward their flight time. But these aren’t the only flying experience you can choose!
If the person you want to buy for needs even more thrills, then look for a dog fight experience. Not a real dog fight – a flying dog fight in the air! There are true Top Gun flight experiences you can buy where they get to go in a fighter plane and learn about tactical maneuvers. They get to actually take the controls and do spirals, loops and other pulse-racing maneuvers. These are typically recorded for you from the ground so that you can relive the moment over and over again. The Sky Combat Ace school is available in Henderson, NV and El Cajon, CA. If you want to go for an international adventure, there’s MiGs over Moscow where you can fly Cold War Soviet MiG fighter planes over Moscow or Novgorod, Russia.
Some options that are local to my area are Moyer Aviation and Hi-Tech Helicopters in Tobyhanna and there is Acepilot Training in Allentown at the regional airport.
Balloon Tours
For those who are less interested in thrill rides and more into sweeping vistas and romantic jaunts, hot air balloon tours might be an excellent experiential gift. Lazily drifting over hills and valleys as you dip fondue and drink wine is more to some people’s liking than zooming around like the Blue Angels.
Hot air balloon ride vendors offer a variety of tours that include photos, dinner or breakfast reservations, B&B stays and, of course, stunning scenery. Balloon rides are intimate, relaxing and highlight the natural beauty of your local area when seen from a bird’s eye view.
Check your local listings for vendors in your area. Some of the best options near me are AirVentures in Paoli, Balloon Chase Adventures in Moscow and the United States Hot Air Balloon Team in Bird in Hand.