Those of you with 10-14 y.o. boys - help me shop!

ausrere

ausrere

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
1,682
Location
Austin, TX
Display Name
Lisa
Home Airfield
KAUS
Ok.. I need help. My kids have tails and four legs, so shopping for a 12 year old is not something I'm used to doing.

I picked up one of those Salvation Army Angel Tree slips yesterday. The ones where you are provided with a child-in-needs name, age, sizes and wish list. I got a 12 year old boy who had "Airplane and Police car" written on his wish list (two guesses how I ended up with this one!). We are given no guidance on how much or little to spend.. it's left up to us. My question... what is the best "not expensive enough to break me" airplane toy/gift to give to a 12 year old? Keep in mind I work for the State, which means I ain't sittin on a bundle of money. But I want to get something the kid will like. Is 12 years old old enough for one of those remote control airplanes that are made of the hard to destroy on the first flight foam material (a nice one), or would a 12 year old think that was silly? (Although I know I have a blast with those things..but then I didn't want to grow up anyway :D) Or do you think he may want some sort of model?

Anybody have any other suggestions for something "airplane" related the child mike like? I'll get some other things to go along with both items, but I want to make sure to get something he'll really like.

Thanks
 
Last edited:
i would think that a cheap RC airplane would be perfect for that age range. or just give him a certificate to go flying in a real airplane!
 
Microcenter has a couple remote control helos for sale with decent prices...


Mosquito Helicopter
image.phtml


$29.99
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0266252

and...

RH-FJ708A Mini-Helicopter
 
Check out Air Hog toy airplanes and helos. fun and not the expensive. I lilke the idea of a discovery flight but the child may not have transportation to an airport.
 
KennyFlys said:
Microcenter has a couple remote control helos for sale with decent prices...


Mosquito Helicopter
image.phtml


$29.99
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0266252

and...

RH-FJ708A Mini-Helicopter
Click to expand...

I had, I think it was 3 mosquito's. I was 14/15 at the time, and while they are really cool, it is hard to fly out of the box (after some mods, it was decent) and susceptible to numerous crashes. Also, the reason I went through 3 of them is because the tail rotor quit on all 3 of them. I really, REALLY, wanted to like it, but couldn't justify $60ish for a hovering helo. I would definitely get a version 2.....

Purdue
 
I had one of those sub $100 foam airplane things. It had two electric engines which was how you controlled pitch and roll. It was actually a lot of fun and pretty indestructible. But it was not up to the day that I decided to fly it with 30 mph winds.
 
I guess its insane in these times to actually consider giving someone like this an airplane ride around the patch?
 
Big question is whether the intent is to get face-to-face, or not; for some, there is a question of dignity.

You might give a nice airplane model and a book about flying, and include a note offering a ride if the recipient wants one... with a contact number. You could turn a one-time gift-giving opportunity into a lifelong mentoring opportunity.

Just thinkin' here...
 
Good ideas guys, thanks!

A face to face gift is out of the question. We are only provided a first name and an ID number for identification, and we aren't allowed to deliver gifts in person. The organization delivers all gifts in unwrapped bags. I'm not sure what the policy would be on offering a ride or a gift certificate for a ride, but I'll certainly explore that! Either way, I still want to get him some sort of airplane toy.
 
When Spike mentioned that, I was thinking the gifts would be anonymous. That's the case for two programs I'm aware of in Atlanta.

You might contact the person with the Salvation Army overseeing the program and offer to be a mentor for a teen who could use some direction. If allowed, you may well inspire them to either move toward a career around aviation or law enforcement.

I'm sure there's no shortage of kids in this program who have had exposure to cops on a less than friendly level. Maybe you can change that with one or two.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top