Gift for instructor

C

clestudentpilot

Well-Known Member
Hey guys...have you guys ever had students get you a gift when they passed their PPL checkride? I'll be taking my checkride probably at the end of this month, and I have been trying to think of something to get my instructor as a thank you gift, but not able to come up with much. Do you guys have any suggestions for something that would be good for a gift...I realize that you guys don't know him, but some suggestions to steer me in the right direction would be appreciated.
 
Bose X

or, take him to lunch at a decent restaurant. It'll probably be the first time in a while that he experiences that "luxury".
 
I have developed a habit of giving a pocket knife to departing friends or for Christmas gifts for friends. I gave my CFI one that matched his personality. You can get a decent locking blade knife at places like 5 Star Sports or other discount or clearance stores for around 10-15 bucks. It would go good in a surival /flight kit or any avid sportman would just appreaciate it.
 
Once I am back at school I am buying all my instructors a gift certificate to a local restaurant with a personalized card.
 
I had a guy get me a copy of the movie "One Six Right" on DVD as a present for doing his instrument training. I thought that was pretty unique and cool.

Along the same lines, I always enjoy good aviation books. "North Star Over My Shoulder," "Fate is the Hunter," "The Right Stuff," or any other number of legendary aviation texts. Or, if you know he has interests outside of aviation, nothing wrong with getting him a book that relates to something else.

A pocket knife/multi-tool is always nice, too.

And ditto the ideas about a gift certificate to a restaurant and/or just taking him out to dinner. Every now and then a student will take me out to eat and I always thoroughly appreciate that sort of thing.

Alcohol is an option, but make sure your instructor could use it. I'm in the minority of pilots who don't drink, so any gift would be politely accepted and dumped down the kitchen sink later.

You know, that just made me think though, a really nice coffee tumbler could make a good gift. I got one for Christmas a few years ago and it's proved extremely handy. One of my old instructors would always drink coffee out of a styrofoam cup and leave the empty cup in the back of my plane when he left. Kinda pissed me off at the time and I wished he'd have had a tumbler instead of always leaving his trash for me to clean up ;)
 
The instructor that got me through my IR, CMEL, CSEL, CFI, CFII, MEI I gave him 150 in cash because who couldnt use that? It was a fairly large sum but he was ain incredible CFI who I really worked hard with a very demanding schedule and he got me through every ride +-5 hours of the mins

I have had 9 students pass checkrides and 1 gave me a really great smithsonian book showing high res photos of a bunch of very interesting airplanes cockpits and then a brief write up on them. A very thoughtful and interesting gift.

I have had no gifts from any of the others but recently a student who is nearing the end gave me a 150 gift cert to lowes because I am closing on my new house soon and he said it was an early house warming gift.

I think students should buy gifts appropriate to the service they recieved and the bond they had with their CFI. You tip a hairdresser who trims your fro so why not something even as simple as a card for the person who helped you realized your dream?
 
As said above, being taken to lunch or a gift certificate is great! As you know, CFI's are not among the wealthiest of people.
It is usually pretty cool to hang out with a student outside the airport environment, especially if they are buying, but also conisder if he has a wife, she may want to eat something nice as well for the sacrifice she is making by him being an airport bum!
 
I'd like lunch or dinner. I can't tell you how many students say, "Thanks for your help, let's go out for a beer sometime." Okay, sure.

And while I still see them flying and hear from them every so often, that coveted dinner/beer never really happens.

I have had 3 fellas give me something in 2 years, and each of those were VERY much appreciaated. One guy has bought me lunch twice. He's a fancy schmancy lawyer, so a $10 hamburger isn't a wallet buster to him. Usually we fly there. That is a big investment for lunch.

The other guy gave me $150! That was really really nice.

The third guy has given me a WWII encyclopedia of planes, the Blue Max (old movie), and just gave me Stick & Rudder with a photo of his shirt tail I drew on for soloing. Thats a lot o ####.

All of which I appreciate.
 
Knife, books, drinks...all good choices.

It would also be nice to have a student rent the airplane for us to take a xc for lunch or something and actually let the CFI do most of the flying. Heck, maybe even let him sit in the left seat again!

If you know anyone with a Pitts, Sukoi, or other sweet ass ride, try to hook your CFI up with a ride in that. I would definitely enjoy it...
 
I checked a guy out in his Mooney a few weeks ago after fly 15 hours with him in less than a week. He gave me a gift card and I tried to refuse it since I was paid well and happy to do it. It was very nice of him and very appreciated but certainly not necessary. When you succeed we succeed, thats good enough for me.
 
mhcasey said:
Knife, books, drinks...all good choices.

It would also be nice to have a student rent the airplane for us to take a xc for lunch or something and actually let the CFI do most of the flying. Heck, maybe even let him sit in the left seat again!

If you know anyone with a Pitts, Sukoi, or other sweet ass ride, try to hook your CFI up with a ride in that. I would definitely enjoy it...
Click to expand...

There were three of us training at the same time, so we bought her a pair of Serengeti drivers.
 
wow, beaucoup signoff's over the years as an instructor and check airman for 8710's and 8410's and don't think i've ever been 'gifted'! guess i need to start dropping hints! lol.
 
I got $400 bucks from an english guy. I got him finished with his private in 3 weeks. I gladfully declined then he insisted and I said OK...
:rawk:

Then I got a book "why do men have nipples" and some other funny things from a female student when I got her finished with her PPL.

Give him cash everyone is pretty much broke instructing and it would be nice to turn that electricity and water back on at home... Also seen alot of beer as gifts and the ones mentioned above. Maybe a new CAR!!!!! :panic::panic::panic:
 
I had one student out of maybe 60 or so that I spent an appreciable amount of time with give me a gift card to Ruby Tuesdays. It was a really nice gesture that I wasn't expecting. I gave my PPL instructor a nice bird feeder as he was always talking about how he loved to watch the birds at his house. I think I gave one of my ATP instructors (the one who got me through me CFI) a 6 pack of his favorite beer.
 
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