It’s been a crazy “return to normal.” Everyone with a private or business aircraft is figuratively flying the wings off the thing. That means your friendly A&P is working double hard to keep that aircraft and everyone in it safe and happy.

While we have absolutely no affiliation with any of the following suggestions (except one, obviously), we’ve collected a list of the top 10 gifts that we think will make every aviation maintenance technician’s 2022 happier and more productive.

#10: A better paint touch-up system.

These 2K fully reactive paint pens deliver the same exceptional strength and cross-linked durability found in Sherwin-Williams aircraft paints. Available in a wide array of Sherwin-Williams colors, they’re ideal for use on aircraft exteriors and interior cabin surfaces. Visit: industrial.sherwin-williams.com/na/us/en/aerospace/media-center/video-gallery/jet-pen-touch-up-solution.html

#9: On-site aircraft cleaning and detailing services.

Take the pressure off your tech by gifting them an on-site visit by a highly qualified aircraft cleaner/detailer. The investment doesn’t just make the airplane shine; it can add years to its useful life. Visit: https://immaculateflight.com/aircraft-cleaning-services/mobile-aircraft-services/mobile-general-cleaning-detailing/

#8: Deep-cleaning aircraft cabin disinfection solutions.

Earthsafe’s Protexus cordless electrostatic sprayer makes it easy to disinfect your aircraft’s cockpit and cabin. The unit’s electrostatic capability ‘charges’ the particles, so they stick on surfaces and upholstery to provide more effective disinfecting. Visit: https://evaclean.com/products/protexus-cordless-electrostatic-sprayers

#7: High-quality safety glasses.

Many safety glasses are either uncomfortable to wear, or their poor optics cause visual distortion. Smith & Wesson’s line of safety glasses eliminates these issues: They’re stylish, comfortable, deliver the highest quality optics, and meet all current ANSI Z87.1-plus standards. Visit: www.KCProfessional.com

#6: Maintenance and expense evaluation tools.

eValues is a fast and easy-to-use system that allows users to predict future maintenance events and expenses.. It’s also a great tool for obtaining an aircraft’s value and marketability in real-time. Visit: https://www.assetinsight.com/asset-insight-evalues/

#5: Cookie of the month.

Deliver your tech’s favorites right to the hangar door by gifting membership in the Cookie of the Month Club. Choose from a wide array of hand-crafted cookies and doughnuts. Visit: https://www.etsy.com

#4: Starbucks gift card.

What goes better with a delicious cookie than a cup of your A&P’s favorite Starbucks brew? Visit: www.starbucks.com/gift

#3: Snap-On Tools gift card.

Having the right Snap-On tool for the job makes every inspection or repair go faster and easier. Whether it’s a new tool bag, a set of magnetic pick-up tools, or a pair of insulated mechanic’s gloves, Snap-On has exactly what they want. Visit: https://shop.snapon.com

#2: Type-specific maintenance training from FlightSafety or CAE.

It takes a lot of specialized training to understand the nuances of each type of aircraft and helicopters. Sure, the manuals give the instructions, but there’s nothing like type-specific training to make your technician’s job easier and more efficient.

FSI Visit: www.flightsafety.com/business-commercial/maintenance/

CAE Visit: http://www.cae.com/civil-aviation/aviation-training/aircraft-maintenance-training/

#1: Digitized aircraft’s maintenance records.

Do you know how many hours your A&P wastes searching through countless pages of aircraft logs every time they have to do an inspection or maintenance? Way, way too many. Having all of those logbooks digitally scanned makes the project quick and easy. Just enter the information in the search window, and Bluetail finds and delivers the information in seconds. Now your A&P actually has time to relax with a cookie and coffee. To learn about how Bluetail can digitize, streamline, and protect all of your aircraft’s documents, visit: https://bluetail.aero

Well, there you have it: Our top 10 gift choices for 2021. Sure, there are countless more ways to show your aircraft’s maintenance team how much you appreciate all of their efforts throughout the year. So, next time you’re getting ready for a trip, take a minute to thank them personally for what they do all year long. That may turn out to be the greatest gift of all.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good flight.

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About Bluetail

Bluetail is a modern aircraft records platform. We enable aircraft owners, operators and flight departments to move away from paper-based records and digitize, organize, search and share all aircraft records (back-to-birth) from anywhere on any device. Our customers experience the peace of mind that comes from knowing every aircraft logbook, document and record is professionally scanned, indexed and secured with our FAA-compliant, cloud-based SaaS platform so they can focus on running and growing their business.