If you have a pilot or aviation fan in your life, you know how consuming of a hobby it can be for them. 😅 My husband is a commercial airline pilot, but also enjoys general recreational flying (especially in the backcountry of Idaho) and can appreciate anything having to do with flight. Since it’s such a big part of their personality and interests, it’s fun to try to find aviation-themed gifts for special occasions! But after six years of shopping for my pilot, I’ve learned that the options for (good) flight-themed gifts are a little limited.

I’m rounding up the best gifts I’ve found for pilots, flight attendants, and aviation lovers and I’m starting off with a fun little surprise!

Strong Like My Coffee’s First Merch Items!

The first time our daughter Brynnley flew on a commercial airplane was really special, particularly for Zeb. As the captain of the flight, he obviously had great pride in being able to fly his baby girl (and wife!). He even made an overhead announcement letting the passengers know that his daughter was on board, and apologized in advanced if they heard any crying 😁 She was just 4-months old.

To make the day more special, we had gone on Etsy to find Brynnley a cute onesie to wear. There weren’t too many options, but Zeb picked out the one she is wearing in this photo. It says “Pack my diapers! I’m going flying with dad!”

Zeb and I have both ordered our fair-share of aviation shirts and onesies from Etsy. It’s fun to commemorate the unique lifestyle with some novel items. I thought of the phrase “honorary crew member” and wished I could find a onesie with that saying, but I couldn’t. I call myself an “honorary Gilmore girl” and these two phrases have always stuck in my head when I’ve thought about what items I would make with my new Cricut machine. Well………

Now I have! And I’ve made custom luggage tags as well! If there are any other aviation families out there that also like cute airplane-themed onesies or shirts, these items are now available for purchase as Strong Like My Coffee’s very first merchandise products. They are linked below using the Shopify platform for secure and easy check-out.

I am starting small with my collection of items for sale until I learn how much of an interest there is from this community. But I hope to add several more unique items in the future! (And if you’re a fellow pilot wife, let me know in the comments!)

Like I said, my “shop” collection will eventually grow but I am starting out small with two products that I really wanted myself! Families of pilots and flight attendants know what a unique lifestyle it can be always having your loved one traveling back and forth all over the country or world. As their support system through all of the “turbulence”, you really are an honorary member of their crew! 💗

Gift Guide for Pilots, Flight Attendants, and Aviation Lovers

The list I compiled contains 15 different items ranging from $4 to $130. Whether they’re cruising the skies for a living or just passionate about flying, I’ve got a list of gifts that will have them doing barrel rolls of joy. Then I made a separate little section specifically for aviation stickers & children’s books, if you’re shopping for any littles of pilots! Let’s get to it!

Gift Ideas for Pilots & Aviation Lovers

• Set of 4 Aviation Pint Glasses with Matching Coasters: This set of 16 oz. beer glasses are etched with four different aviation styles and have matching cork coasters, so no one will mix up their glasses!
• Silicone Airplane Ice Molds: Make your own cute airplane-shaped ice cubes in this little silicone mold.
• Airline Socks: This three-pack of socks has three different designs – a runway, airport map and little airplanes.
• Backcountry Pilot Socks: One more pair of socks! My parents gifted these to Zeb for Christmas this year and he loves them. Again, perfect for anyone into general aviation who likes to fly in nature!
• “Trust Me, I’m a Pilot” Whiskey Glass: a silly glass for any whiskey-lovin’ pilots in your life!
• Airplane Bottle Opener: All of our friends and family have these since this was our party favor at our wedding! They are metal and a really cute touch for an aviation party! I also found a slightly different jet version here.
• Aviation Throw Pillow with Stamp Design: This would make a great accent piece in any pilot’s home with its neutral black and cream design.
• Magnetic Bookmarks: This pack of 6 magnetic bookmarks each have a different aviation themed design and they are so cute!
• Airplane Whiskey and Wine Decanter: This is the priciest item on this list, at $130. It would make a great statement piece for anyone with a bar cart, and it looks so classy with its wooden-wing design!
• Metal Propeller Wall Clock: a great art piece for a wall!
• Airplane-Shaped Paper Clips/Bookmarks: this one is kind of silly but also great for anyone who loves aviation and has a lot of paperwork! The pack comes with a variety of colors of the airplane-shaped paper clips.
• “New Airplane Smell” Air Freshener: this could be a cute stocking stuffer or package topper! A jet-shaped air freshener.
• “Fly Safe, I Love You” Keychain: I think this was one of the first aviation-themed gifts I bought my husband when we were dating. He has it attached to his crew bag that he packs for work!
• Pop-Up Jet Greeting Card: If you’re including a card with your gift for a pilot or aviation lover, this one very detailed with it’s jet pop-up and would be very thoughtful!

I hope this list helped you find something that you’re excited to gift! I also have quite a few aviation-themed stickers and books that we’ve found and purchased over the years. I know these aren’t for everybody, so I’m separating them into their own section:

The Best Aviation-Themed Stickers & Childrens Books:

• “Where we’re going, we don’t need roads” sticker: This is for bush pilots or backcountry flyers. My husband loves flying into the wilderness in Idaho by supercub!
• “I love the smell of jet fuel in the morning” sticker: this would be cute on some kind of coffee station or travel mug.
• “AV8R” Sticker in Airport Taxiway Sign: This was also one of the first things I bought for Zeb!
• “The 100 Funniest Aviation Jokes & Puns” Book: Like a dad-joke book for pilots. You might regret giving this…haha.
• “Amazing Airplane” Baby Board Book: This is a cute board book for young babies and toddlers.
• “Away in an Airplane” Children’s Book: This hardcover book has adorable illustrations and a rhyming story.
• “The Littlest Airplane” Children’s Book: Another hardcover rhyming book with a message about not being the biggest or strongest, but trying your hardest! Cute illustrations.
• “The Ultimate Book of Airplanes and Airports”: This book look awesome, but our daughter is a bit too young for it now. It will be GREAT when she’s in elementary school and can learn all about what her daddy is doing and where he’s at while he is away on trips!
• “Going On An Airplane – Toddler Prep Book”: If you’re nervous about taking your toddler on a flight, this book helps them learn what to expect before hand! Although they will be excited about the trip and new experience no matter what. I’ll be doing a whole blog post on flying with babies and toddlers soon :)
• I Spy and Count Airplanes Book: This is an activity book for 3-5 year olds all about airplanes. It would be great to even bring on travel days to keep them occupied during long sits!

Obviously this is not a comprehensive list of ALL the best airplane children’s books out there, just the few that I have found and love and wanted to share! If you’re interested in this type of content, I’m happy to make more about the fun aviation-themed baby and toddler toys we’ve accumulated over Brynnley’s life so far :)

Thanks for reading, I hope this was helpful for you! And if you’re interested in my Honorary Crew Member baby onesies or luggage tags, or just want to sign up for emails when new products are added to my Strong Like My Coffee shop, check out my store here!

XOXO, Kenz