Question for CFIs: my first solo
 

It looks like my first solo will be coming up in about a week or so, and I want to give a "thank you" to my CFI. Does anyone want to weigh in on what would be appropriate? What do CFI's want/need?

I'm thinking along the lines of a small MP3 player, or a decent pair of sunglasses? But I'd really appreciate some suggestions about what would be appreciated and useful.

-Aaron

A large bag of money. :D

I've soloed many students and never got any gifts. You're too nice. Are you paying him already?

Yes, he's getting paid.
Is it that out of line to get something?

I'm not talking wedding-present-expensive... just nice-trinket-expensive.
I'm surprised students don't get thank-you's for their instructors.
After all, he has literally saved my ass a few times (even if its his job).

I've had students give me gift cards $25-$100 or simply just a steak dinner at a nice nearby resturant (which I prefer), usually after checkrides....whatever you do decide it will be greatly appreciated

I'd get him a subscription to the jelly-of-the-month club, it's the gift that keeps on giving year round...

Yeah I'd say a gift is unnecessary. I second the dinner idea. It says thank you for doing a good job without putting you out. Either way it would be appreciated. It's just not necessary since you're paying for his instruction already.

My students have given me bottles of liquor, dinners, sunglasses. My best story is that students always want something i.e. more flight/ground time with instructor, solo, signed off etc. So this students kept on saying I, I, I, so I asked if he ever thought about me. He was like "what do you want" and I said "a watch". When I got back from my flight an hour or so later he was standing there with a fossil watch for me.

Ask him if he likes anything kind of like how parents do for christmas. That should get you in the ball park of what he needs.

You are very thoughtful.

Actually, I never had a student give me anything after their first solo, nor have I heard from any other pilot receiving a gift after the first solo.

I once had a student give me a piece of fruit during a lesson, but he said it was to insure that I kept my mouth busy eating and not continually correcting his errors. :)

I've had students pay for lunch when we did a dual cross country. That's always fun to do and nice to have a free meal. CA had lots of flying in restaurants.

What a novel idea
 

Well, I must say a gift would be nice and appreciated, but not required. If you really want to do something for your CFI, you can:

1) Ask him or her what they want
2) If he says no, just take him/her to dinner, or ask them what their favorite restaurant is and get them a gift certificate
3) If they are really stubborn, just give them a cash tip - or tell them you want to fly to another airport with a restaurant and you will pay for the meal - no CFI in the right mind will turn THAT down (dinner AND a lesson?)

The pilots I was training always mentioned something about a dinner, etc, but none of them ever did anything about it :) I did not feel bad, as I got paid for my flying and getting paid for what you love to do is rewarding enough.

Besides, during a supervised first solo, the student would be charged ground time since I was standing there for considerable amount of time by the runway with a radio in one hand and 911 pre-dialed in the cellphone in the other hand (just kidding about the cell phone). So since I was compensated, a gift would be unnecessary. CFI's get paid by the hour, so anything extra is just what it is, extra.

Now, IF your instructor does not charge you at all for his time during your first solo, as some super-nice independent CFI might who is not starving (not many), SOME sort of compensation is definitely in order since he is basically giving you free time, and is a nice gesture!