Aces HighAviation · KLGB
The Gift of Flight · From $230
The gift they tell
everyone about.
Not a candle. Not a gadget. An hour flying a real airplane over the Southern California coast,
with their hands on the controls.
A flying lesson gift certificate puts your person in the left seat of a Cessna with an instructor beside them: takeoff, the harbor and the Queen Mary below, the controls in their hands, and a story they will tell for the rest of their life. Certificates are ready same-day with a personal message printed on them.
$230
Full hour · Cessna 152
$270
Cessna 172 · guest rides along
Same-day
Certificate ready
0
Expiration games
01 /
Why It Beats Another Sweater
The research on gifts is unanimous: experiences beat objects, and the more novel the experience, the longer the glow lasts. Nothing on their wishlist competes with "I flew a plane."
WHY · 01
Real.
They Actually Fly
Not a simulator, not a ride-along. A certificated instructor hands them the controls for most of the hour.
WHY · 02
Easy
Zero Planning For You
One phone call or email and the certificate is ready the same day, with your message printed on it.
WHY · 03
Flex
They Pick the Day
Surprise mode leaves the date open; they call and schedule when it suits them. Or pre-book it and just tell them where to stand.
WHY · 04
Log.
It Can Become More
The hour logs toward a real pilot certificate. More than a few of our students started as someone's birthday present.
02 /
Pick the Occasion
Christmas & Holidays
The certificate folds neatly into a card or stocking, and because it is ready same-day, it is the strongest last-minute gift in Los Angeles. We send the certificate and the invoice in separate emails, so you can forward or print the certificate with no price on it. December flights over the coast are some of the clearest of the year.
Birthdays
Especially the round ones. A 30th, 40th, or 50th birthday flight is the difference between "we went to dinner" and a framed photo of them grinning in the left seat. Book the Cessna 172 and ride along in the back to take that photo yourself.
Father's Day & Mother's Day
For the parent who claims they want nothing and has quietly wanted this since they were ten. If they ever pause on a plane overhead, this is the one.
Graduations, Retirements & Proposals
Milestone moments suit pre-booking: you set the date and time, we lock it in, they just show up. We have hosted retirement send-offs and more than one proposal at altitude. Tell us the plan and we will play along.
For a Student Pilot
Already training, here or anywhere? Gift any dollar amount and it goes straight onto their account toward aircraft and instructor time. It is the most useful gift a student pilot can receive, full stop.
03 /
Gift Questions, Answered
How much does a flying lesson gift cost?
A demo flight gift certificate is $230 for the Cessna 152 or $270 for the four-seat Cessna 172. That covers a full hour: aircraft, fuel, and instructor, with the recipient at the controls. You can also gift any custom dollar amount toward flight training.
How fast can I get the gift certificate?
Same day. Order in person, by phone at (562) 726-3719, or by email, and we will have the certificate ready that day. For email orders we send the certificate and the invoice separately, so you can forward the certificate straight to the recipient (or print it) without the price showing. Yes, that includes Christmas Eve.
Does the gift certificate expire?
Certificates are good for a generous period, and we do not play expiration games. The recipient schedules their flight whenever their calendar and the weather line up.
Can the recipient actually fly the plane with no experience?
Yes. It is a real first lesson with a certificated flight instructor beside them. After a briefing and walkaround, they take the controls for most of the flight, and the hour is loggable toward a pilot certificate if they catch the bug.
What if the person is tall, or wants to bring someone along?
Choose the Cessna 172 certificate ($270). It is the better fit for anyone over about 6 foot 1 or 185 pounds, and it seats four, so a partner or friend can ride along in the back and take photos.
Can I add a personal message?
Yes. Tell us the exact message when you order (an inside joke, an anniversary note, a retirement send-off) and we print it on the certificate.
Can I pre-book the flight instead of leaving the date open?
Either way works. Surprise mode: we leave the date open and the recipient calls the number printed on the certificate to schedule. Pre-booked: you pick the date and time, we lock it in, and they just show up. Pre-booking is popular for proposals and milestone birthdays.
Is this a good gift for someone already in flight training?
One of the best. Gift any dollar amount and it is applied directly to their student account toward aircraft time and instruction, which is money they were going to spend anyway, gifted.
Want the details of what they will actually do up there? See the demo flight page. Curious what happens if they get hooked? That path starts at the discovery flight and runs through the 2026 cost guide. All certificate options live on the gift certificates page.
Order one
Ready
same-day.
Call or email, tell us the aircraft (or amount) and the message you want printed, and it is ready today. In person, by phone, or forwarded by email.
© 2026 Aces High Aviation LLC · All rights reserved
Doc. AHA · Demo · Rev. 26.05 · KLGB · MMX