Gift for plane-obsessed 7yo

[Mumista]

DS really wants a remote control plane or drone for his 7th birthday, but of course an outdoor one is out of the question, and the indoor ones just look a bit crappy.

I'm looking for suggestions for presents below £100 that would tick the flying box but am all out of ideas.

I'd buy him a cheap RC one and just accept it will be a bit rubbish and break quickly but he will love it. Then spend the rest of the budget on a trip to a plane museum? We bought my son a flying lesson for that sort of budget when he was 10 and he was able to take the controls even though he couldn't reach the pedals. Would he love a ride in a little plane or a glider?

I use flightstore for my aviation obsessed relatives. Not sure for a 7 yo but you may get some ideas.

Lego technic rescue helicopter and plane set
Lego creator race plane helicopter and jet
Airfix kits

Please don't get a drone, they are antisocial and hideously noisy. Any plane museums near you, there is a small one near me that is great for small children.

Definitely not getting a drone - considering people at work need to go on long technical courses to use one, I'm certainly not letting DS get his mitts on one!

A lad I knew got given a little radio thing that could tune in to the air traffic control radio chatter, so he could listen in to the planes flying overhead.

Take him to a Runway park maybe?
The one at Manchester Airport is fab.

thebooks he would LOVE that. He really enjoys the flight radar app so that would take it to the next level. Is it legal?!

Ds had his first remote controlled plane at that age. It's made out of a foam so it doesn't break easily.
You can't use it in a strong wind, but it's good enough.

He didn't get the 1/4 size Spitfire with petrol engine he wanted the following year though.

It might be worth asking your local airport if they would allow a trip to observe the controllers?

a little radio thing - they're called an air band radio. Exdh had one once.

Go on Wiki how and look at:
How to listen to local air traffic control.
I think that tells you what frequency of radio you need. I think back in the day they were called cb radios. Or perhaps that was a different bandwidth, who knows! I wish Tandy or Maplin were still on the high street. You could buy stuff there and make your own no doubt!

Pick up cheap flights to Hamburg and book in on the Airbus tour.

Great ideas, thanks. So glad I posted! The Airbus tour looks amazing and will bank that one for when he's a bit older.

There are a surprising number of 'flying' museums, some look amazing. Are you near any? Looking today I've seen a few I quite fancy myself.

If you live near Duxford, it is a fantastic place to visit

www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford

Yes, it's brilliant. He had a fab day out there at the Battle of Britain event this summer.

We have these

BOMPOW Kids Flying Ball Drones... www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07HQ23VC1?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Dwi Dowellin Mini Drone Crash... www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07D3SXR8L?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Both really good and suitable. The first one is very easy to fly.

Another recommendation for Flightstore.

An idea for the future: take him to the Mach Loop in Snowdonia - we went this summer with our little flight-obsessive and he loved it. It's pot luck how much you see on any given day but the mountains are beautiful, Corris Crafts at the bottom is lovely and when the planes do come through it's epic. I have zero interest in planes but even I was getting excited and shouting 'Incoming!' by the end of the day!

Mine loved www.fleetairarm.com/ as well.

He has this mini drone for indoors which is surprisingly good and has been going strong for a couple of years now.