A Gift Guide for the Aviation Geek in Your Life

Do you know an AvGeek? This phrase is just a shortened word derived from “aviation geek,” which is a term used to describe people who are fanatical about airplanes. The niche hashtag #avgeek on Instagram has over 9 million posts. To present the numbers to scale, the top hashtags on the social media app last year had hundreds of millions of posts—but they weren’t necessarily related to a specific industry like transportation.

Simply put, there are heaps of enthusiastic people continually talking about airplanes and their love and admiration of the winged crafts. The follower count is only growing up, up, and away. What’s so great about aviation is its depth and assorted dimensions—there is a little something for everyone.

If you do know an AvGeek and are on the lookout for the perfect gift for him or her, you’ve come to the right place. Understandably, the joy of gift-giving can become difficult due to the wide variety of aviation-related gifts out there. You don’t have to have the flying bug yourself to find the ideal gift for die-hard flying fans. We’ve compiled a gift guide for the aviation geek in your life that is full of ideas to help you out. Whether you are purchasing for a flight school graduate, a current or retired pilot, an Air Force veteran, or just a kid who loves planes, there is sure to be a suitable sky-high gift here.

Model Airplane Kits

Model airplanes are well-known as simple pleasures for aviation geeks and hobbyists. Airplane aficionados will love to build and create a model-scale plane of their favorite craft. The sky is the limit for model kits, as a wide array of beginner to advanced models is available for purchase. State-of-the-art models can be more expensive, but you don’t have to splurge to find a good one to give as a gift.

You can find quality models of popular modern-day planes or wartime military planes of the past. From fighter jets, to private planes, to historic flyers—there is an airplane model for everyone, even for those who like to cross pop culture with their appreciation for planes. Fictional spacecraft such as an X-Wing or the Starship Enterprise also count.

Books: Pages That Come To Life

What’s more gracious than a good book? As far as #avgeek literature goes, non-fiction is the way to go. Recipients can learn more about the fundamentals of flying or aerodynamics, the technology, and engineering that goes into production. They can also marvel at the achievements, adventures, and contributions of past pilots, or the history of the Wright brothers, Tuskegee Airmen, or Amelia Earhart. Narratives given through memoirs can place readers directly into their favorite aviators’ shoes. What greater gift is there?

Apparel and Accessories

What’s an AvGeek without some super-cool aviators? This style of shades is an accessory near the top of the list of our gift guide for the aviation geek in your life. Every aviation enthusiast should own a pair of aviator shades to protect their eyes from the harsh rays of the sun. A variety of designers and retailers sell this style, so you can certainly find a pair to match your gift-giving budget. The recipient is sure to feel top gun with these on.

Apparel wise, the top aviation-related gift would be the highly-coveted bomber jacket. This iconic jacket style is said to have been born in the 1950s. The OG bomber jackets were actually worn by members of the European Air Force, which were then popularized overseas by the U.S. military. Originally made out of fur and leather to kept pilots warm in the air, the style is slightly cropped, with ribbed collars, looser arms, cuffed sleeves, and a nice waistband. Bombers are a great gift idea as a timeless trend that looks nice on everybody.

Electronics: Simulation

Flights simulators are truly the gift of flight. Video games with flight simulation are the perfect gift for those who would enjoy a comparable virtual earth experience to flying a real plane. Recent simulations such as the Microsoft Flight Simulator for PC platforms offer real-world imagery. This realistic simulation provides an authentic flying experience over houses, favorite destinations, or exotic locations. Such simulators may act more like a game with an objective or mission, but you shouldn’t doubt their appeal and authenticity. Those who do not currently fly in reality will enjoy the adventure in virtual reality within the comfort of their home.

Flicks and Films: Aviation Classics

Aircraft and planes have appeared on film since the beginning days of silent black and white films. At the start, these wondrous crafts were seen as headliners of the future. As time went on, they became tools and weapons of war, and then eventually backgrounds or settings for transportation and even terrorism. Nevertheless, many films of the past have much to say about planes and their place and purpose in our world. Such film classics include The Right Stuff, Hell’s Angels, Airplane! and Top Gun, just to name a few. While streaming or digital movie versions are favored these days, a true aviation geek will enjoy having a copy of a classic for their collection.

Desk, Office, or Room Gear

Functional home and room décor is always a solid gift idea. Aviation-related desks, clocks, lighting and lamps, posters, signs, or artwork are all available options to be purchased. Various online retailers like Etsy and a multitude of small businesses have suitable selections to choose from. A wonderful gift option to be used on a dresser, table, or desk is a combination of dazzling art, modern innovation, and “plane” fun—his cool gadget is a 3D aviation lamp.

Here at Carve Craftworks, we are a veteran-owned business that handcrafts these high-quality 3D optical illusion light lamps. These lamps are affordable, one-of-a-kind, intricately etched, finely detailed, and made right here in America. We offer an array of themed collections that are the perfect gift for geeks and enthusiasts, particularly for those die-hard aviation fans.

Our aviation collection includes SR-71 Blackbirds, Huey helicopters, fighter jets, bombers, transport planes, space shuttles, drones, and many others. Browse through our iconic and custom designs to find the most unique gift for the aviation enthusiast in your life. We also offer text engraving to make the gift even more personal. Contact our team with any questions or for further information today.