Aviation gift ideas

[StuartUK]

Hi guys,

Slightly different question for you all...
With my imminent birthday quickly creeping up on me I am being asked for gift ideas from my family. Now usually if I ever want something I just go buy it which makes this whole birthday gifts a little tricky. I hoping that you'll be able to suggest some aviation related gifts that I'll either need, useful to have, or just good to have in the bag.

I'm currently learning to fly (PPL) and have just started the navigation section so I have the flight computer, ruler, protractor, watch (a £15 cheapie), and theory book. Is there anything else that would be useful to have? Is it worth getting a plotter in addition to a protractor?

Apart from a the theory book, is there anything I'll need for the radiotelephony section?

Is it worth getting the Pooley Flight Guide? There's a copy of one at the flying school so I guess I could just use that whenever necessary.

Thanks for your ideas.
Stuart

[BlueJays]

Stuart, with regards to the radio side, I really worry about having anything other than the book.. It includes everything you need to know and you will find you pick up most of subject by just flying in general. The exam is probably the easiest, so I wouldn't worry too much.

The Navigation equipment needed is pretty much what you already have; however you will soon be doing diverts and that requires a different piece of equipment: a DP-1 (it's basically a protractor and ruler moulded into one..

Hope this helped. I'm by no means a pro!

[pudoc]

I always like having my own Pooleys, but it depends how much flying to different airfields you do. Depending on budget, cheap GPS for airspace awareness is always useful. None of these are probably that useful until after your PPL.

Do you have a kneeboard? A definite must have. Half mil chart with pens and erasers? Good pair of sunglasses?

If you intend to fly in the cooler months, a carbon monoxide detector can put your mind at rest when using the heaters. You can get really good electric ones (like a smoke alarm) for £20, or the little plastic stick on ones (not great if you won't be flying the same aircraft).

[John R81]

How about a helicopter flight through London airspace - you get fantastic photos sitting at 1400 ft along the Thames.

[Benjybh]

A gliding trial lesson.

[Blues&twos]

Strangely, I didn't particularly enjoy my gliding trial lesson, and judging from what I've read and heard I may be the only person in the world....

What I did enjoy immensely was my first aerobatic flight in an open cockpit Stampe (Thanks to the Real Flying Co at Shoreham for that). I have since gone on to continue aeros in a Pitts with an instructor friend of mine. Nothing quite like it to blow the cobwebs away, and highly recommended!

[Pilot.Lyons]

How much are helicopter flights through London nowadays?

[MacSki]

If you are at the stage of taking your gear into the cockpit with you how about a bag? Not necessarily a specific aviation one but one you could just use for that during your ppl without packing/unpacking each time you fly. I found a small holdall with easy access was perfect during mine.

If someone wants to buy you a gift how about your own foggles, it is nicer than borrowing someone else's if you have a choice.

And of course if you haven't already and someone is feeling really affluent your own headphones?

[dubbleyew eight]

stuart here is a tip for making in flight diversions easier.
photocopy the distance scale off the map you use.
cut it out and stick it along the pencil you use in flight with zero at the blunt end.
use magic invisible sticky tape.
hey presto you can work out the distance to something as you fly by just using the pencil.

[John R81]

Pilot.Lyons

Price varies depending on whether you

(a) want the champagne & chocolates service; or
(b) just want the flight; or
(c) have a mate with a helicopter who can share the cost of a flight with you

If you are paying, budget an average of £135 per seat but varies depending on which airfield / total distance travelled. There are a few providers.

[Jude098]

A much easier method for diversions but you do need to know where you are!


Put one end of the pencil on where you are (think of it as the centre of a clock) the other where you want to go to.

what is it o'clock ie 7 x 3 = 21 then add a 0 on the end = 210 degrees

what is it o'clock ie 2 x 3 = 6 then add a 0 on the end = 60 degrees

If between numbers eg 9 and 10 then 270/300 half way = 285 degrees.

[riverrock83]

Hows about a magazine subscription:
I can recommend all of these (flying is US based but still worth a read). None are expensive:
Pilot (http://www.pilotweb.aero/)
FLYER Home of the UK's favourite general aviation magazine (http://www.flyer.co.uk/)
Flying Magazine (http://www.flyingmag.com/)
and if you are a student (yes - I know this doesn't work for you Stuart), an LAA subscription (http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/membership/MemSubscriptions.html) is good (I like their magazine - but unless you're a student it would be a lot to pay for a magazine subscription).

And even better - you can ask someone else to pay for the subs next year :ok:

[Maoraigh1]

Time? ie hours instruction towards your PPL - voucher at your school, to be used immediately before it goes bust.:E

[Biggles Boyle]

Have not seen someone suggest a headset yet, its great to have your own one important investment I think. You can't go wrong with a David Clark H-10-13

[taybird]

Consider LAA membership, or AOPA membership.

I second the GPS idea

SkyDemon subscription

Definitely a decent kneeboard

Tiger Moth trial flight

Headset

Radio receiver / transceiver - it's good to be able to listen to R/T when you're learning, and once you have your licence it can be used as a cockpit back-up.

Flying jacket

[foxmoth]

Ultimate High | Ultimate High (http://www.ultimatehigh.co.uk/)
You can count the hours towards your licence.

[Pilot.Lyons]

Thanks jon r81 was thinking of treating my wife to it for her birthday (more for me ;)

[Jonzarno]

Sorry, I've tried really hard to resist this but just can't:

Captains epaulettes, ginger wig and a copy of Ferry Flights for Dummies :p

[StuartUK]

Huge thank you to everyone for all of your great suggestions.

BlueJays suggestion of the DP-1 sounds good but then dubbleyew's and Jude098's diversion techniques sound cheaper and as effective...(?)

I like pudoc's idea of a GPS for after I have my PPL but could I not just use the GPS on a mobile phone to confirm where I am on the chart? I appreciate that it would probably be better (in the sense of cutting down on workload) if the GPS and chart was combined though. I already have a cheapie A5 kneeboard (£2.50 from Staples) which has done the trick so far along with the 1:500000 chart & pens. A carbon monoxide detector is a good idea as the flight school's planes don't have any detectors in them already. Although a carbon monoxide detector isn't the most exciting of gifts I do like the idea of not slipping into a coma at 3,000 feet!

John's helicopter flight sounds fun but as I commute up to London from Brighton Monday-Friday I do get quite sick of the place tbh. I also like Benjybh's idea of a gliding lesson. Even though my main passion is powered flight I am drawn to gliding...possibly/probably after getting my PPL I'll give it a go.

As I'm based in Shoreham Blues & Two's and Foxmoth's suggestion of an aerobatic flight sounds excellent. I was considering aerobatic training after getting my PPL.

As I'm a fair way through the PPL course I already have a bag and headset.

A great suggestion by Riverrock about a mag subscription as is all of Taybird's ideas.

And I'm definitely going to go for the epaulettes and wig, Jonzarno!

Once again, thanks fellas. Keep them coming if you think of anything else.