‘Tis the season… to stress over holiday shopping. But fear not! These airplane-themed items have been tried and tested by my own family and make the perfect gifts for any aviation lover. See below for ideas for your young copilots!

(Of note, these are not affiliate links or ads, just brands and products I personally love and have used.)

Fighter Jet Hooded Bath Towel | $35

The perfect post-bath towel: it’s big, fluffy, hooded, and comes in a sweet starry print that subtly says “It’s bedtime. Now go the F to sleep.” The design includes 5 different kinds of fighter jets——A-10s, F-15s, F-16s, F-22s, and F-35s——so your kid doesn’t even have to pick a favorite airframe.

$35 on Lil Posh Shop

Ride-On Toy Airplane | $239

This metal airplane is a cute addition to any kid’s room, but it’s also an effective way for toddlers to expend excess energy… Think leg day à la Fred Flinstone. The website offers simple name personalization, but we ordered cheap stick-on decals from Amazon instead (linked here). This let us take the customization of my son’s plane to the next level… In addition to his name, we added a rank, callsign, and unit (the 14th Airlift Squadron, obviously).

$239 on Morgan Cycle

Remove Before Flight Bow | $18

Red “remove before flight” tags are prevalent in the aviation world; they attach to pins that must be pulled from an aircraft before flying. 99.9% of pilots have “remove before flight” keychains, but these bows are WAY cuter and much more useful for someone too young to be trusted with car keys. Bonus: they’re handmade by a female aviator and a portion of the profits go to the Mile High Women in Aviation Chapter Scholarship Fund.

$18 on Etsy

Toy Cargo Plane | $25

This toy plane comes with a car that can be loaded into its cargo bay, but it also fits other toys: Hot Wheels, Legos, Tonies, etc. The plane is made of sturdy, solid plastic so works well as a bath toy… Kids can practice their airdrops skills by offloading cargo into the water. “Green light!”

$25 on Amazon

“Let’s Fly” Pajamas | $34

These PJs are made from a super soft bamboo viscose that is gentle on sensitive skin, and they have a great amount of stretch to last through many a growth spurt.

$34 on Little Sleepies

Airplane Launcher Toy | $37

Disclaimer: these things have RANGE. If you live in the city, please learn from my mistake and only launch them in a non-crowded park away from the street. Otherwise, you’ll be sprinting in and out of traffic trying to intercept them before they peg innocent bystanders in the face.

$37 on Amazon

Operation Aviation Picture Books | $20 each

I wrote Operation Aviation as a means to share the fun elements of military flying with my two children. This rhyming picture book series blends accurate STEM details with entertaining airplane adventures, and all three books showcase lessons about friendship, kindness, and teamwork. Available in English and Spanish (Operación Aviación).

$20 Each on Amazon

Fly Like a Girl stickers | $12 for 4

Melaine "HALO" Valentin, an F-16 pilot, created the original Fly Like a Girl artwork, and it has become the unofficial logo for female military aviators. These large stickers come in 4-packs, and there are diverse options available for skin color, eye color, and hair color. The Etsy shop is run by a former Air Force C-130 pilot.

$12 for 4 on Etsy