55 Perfect Pilot Things

The Dream Boat. You can now put your boat in your plane with the Napali Kayak. Weighing only 26 pounds and comprised of military-grade urethane and Carbon-Kevlar material, the kayak can be folded into the size of a backpack that fits right into the plane's baggage compartment. But what makes it even more unique is its transparent fabric, which allows for amazing underwater viewing.
Price: $4,515
Contact: Clear Blue Hawaii, (808) 832-2438, www.clearbluehawaii.com

Take Your Best Shot. Capture special moments in the air with the Sanyo-Fisher FVD-C1 Pocket CameraCorder. This all-in-one digital camera and camcorder is tape-less, allowing you to either take 491 high-resolution pictures or record up to 30 minutes of DVD-quality, full-motion videos on its 512 MB SD memory card. Plus, at merely 5.4 ounces, it's small and light enough to stash in your shirt pocket.
Price: $899.99
Contact: Sanyo-Fisher Company, (818) 998-7322, www.fisherav.com

The Showroom. Bring a piece of aviation history into your own living room with furniture by MotoArt. Choose from several designs: an internally illuminated table made out of a C-133 nose, a chair taken right out of a C-97 Stratofreighter or a desk crafted out of a DC-9's horizontal stabilizer. The company also makes sculptures gleaned from different aircraft propellers.
Price: Varies
Contact: MotoArt, (310) 375-4531, www.motoart.com

The Wild One. Experience what it feels like to go from zero to 250 mph in mere seconds---not in the air, but on the road---in a MTT Turbine Superbike. Made from the same aluminum-alloyed material as a helicopter's, it's the world's first Rolls-Royce/Allison gas turbine-powered, street-legal motorcycle demonstrating 425 feet per pound of torque. It includes a rear-mounted camera with an LCD color display and a custom-enclosed trailer.
Price: $185,000
Contact: Marine Turbine Technology, (337) 924-0298, www.marineturbine.com

Dreaming Of A Spartan Christmas. The holidays are here and what better way to decorate your Christmas tree than with a Spartan Model 7-W Executive Ornament to hang on its branches? The eighth model in Hallmark's "Sky's The Limit" series, this miniature Spartan even has a propeller that spins.
Price: $14.95
Contact: Hallmark Gold Crown, www.hallmark.com

Techie Tool. Use the Victorinox Swiss Memory Multi-Tool for its blade, screwdriver, LED mini-light and retractable ballpoint pen. But when you need extra data---whether for navigation, flight planning, you name it---the original makers of the Swiss Army Knife now offer 128 MB on a removable USB flash drive that's built right into this jack-of-all-tools.
Price: $64 to $69
Contact: Victorinox, (800) 442-2706, www.swissarmy.com

Fly A MiG-29. Be fitted for your G-suit at the Zhukovsky Air Base outside of Moscow. After two rides in an L-39, you'll be ready to strap on a Mach 2.3 Russian MiG-29 for the ride of your life. Flights in the Su-30 and MiG-25 also are available. The standard packages include six days and five nights in a hotel, ground transportation, security clearances and preflight medical checks. Custom packages are available.
Price: $16,250
Contact: Incredible Adventures, (800) FLY-MIGS, www.incredible-adventures.com

African Flying Safaris. Rent an airplane and fly yourself on an incomparable trip around Africa. Hanks Aerial Safaris handles it all, from customized itineraries to preflight briefings and aircraft checkouts. Stay at incredible lodges and enjoy escorted animal-viewing expeditions. For most pilots, this is a trip of a lifetime.
Price: Varies
Contact: Hanks Aerial Safaris, (518) 234-2841, www.hanksaero.com

Floating On Earth. Depart the Yuri Gagarin Training Center for a flight in the Russian Space Program's Illyushin-76 MDK. Float about the cabin as your instructor helps you perform spins or somersaults. Or just hang out---weightlessly---in zero gravity.
Price: $2,950
Contact: Incredible Adventures, (800) 644-7382, www.incredible-adventures.com

Aviation Beer. Find a group of pilots after a flight and,u'll most likely find them with beer nearby. Lang Creek Brewery in Marion, Mo., is a microbrewery that puts aviation right on its labels. Chug the Staggerwing Stout, Taildragger Honey Wheat, Tri-Motor Amber, Skydiver Blonde or Windsock Pale Ale.
Price: Varies
Contact: Lang Creek Brewery, (406) 858-2200, www.langcreekbrewery.com

Get Smart Phone. The new MPx from Motorola is perfect for the traveling pilot. Flip open the clamshell cover and talk, or use the keyboard to send text. Open it another way, and a 2.8-inch touch screen appears. It runs on a variety of aviation mobile OS apps. The MPx also is WiFi-enabled with GSM and GPRS capabilities.
Price: $920
Contact: Motorola, (866) BUY-MOTO, www.motorola.com

On-The-Go Screen. Sony's new 12.1-inch LocationFree TV LCD screen is the ideal DVD player for your passengers. On the road, find a WiFi hot zone and use the location-free TV to access your e-mail, or use Sony LF-X1's 56K modem and internal hard drive to get stored files. At home, the screen's base station makes it a stand-alone portable television.
Price: $1,499.99
Contact: Sony, (877) 600-9360, www.sonystyle.com

Visit The International Space Station. Space Adventures out of Arlington, Va., has a standing deal with the Russians: Bring us a physically capable person who wouldn't mind going through cosmonaut training, and we'll load them on a Soyuz-TMA rocket for a week's visit to the International Space Station. So far, only investment banker Dennis Tito and software guru Mark Shuttlework have taken advantage of the offer, but the wait list isn't long.
Price: $20 million
Contact: Space Adventures, (888) 85-SPACE, www.spaceadventures.com

For The Handyman. The Daytripper/Great Escape Tool Kit is perfect for aircraft owners who tinker with simple preventive maintenance tasks. The tool kit can be worn on your belt and includes two specially designed multi-tools, metric and SAE hex bits, Torx and several slotted and Phillips screw bits that any do-it-yourselfer would love. In addition, it's so small and compact that you can stash it in the back of your airplane on any flight, which is ideal for any mechanical roadside emergencies.
Price: $35
Contact: Beza, (800) 381-8030, www.beza.biz

Light Up. Designed for pilots, the Everlasting Flashlight has five LEDs, including a red light for night flying. It's called "Everlasting" for obvious reasons: It doesn't need batteries so it won't run out of light. Just spin it for one minute, and you'll get more than 30 minutes of illumination. And it comes with adapters that allow you to charge your Motorola, Samsung, Siemens, Ericsson or Nokia cell phone.
Price: $25
Contact: Everlasting Flashlight, (612) 599-9473, www.everlastingflashlight.com

Hot Solution. Fight heat discomfort in the cockpit or at air shows with the Cobber. It's a neck wrap that cools you down when temperatures rise. Simply place it in water and wear it around your neck or forehead for a refreshing solution.
Price: $14.95
Contact: Body Cool Industries, (416) 410-3473, www.bodycool.tv

Puff, Puff And Away. Brandish your N-number on Victory Cigars' Custom Labels. Perfect for the aviation nut who loves cigars, these personalized smokes are handmade in the Dominican Republic, packaged in Spanish Cedar boxes and contains 25 cigars with custom bands featuring the design of your choice.
Price: $60 to $119.75
Contact: Victory Cigars, (800) 434-3994, www.victorycigars.com

The Warm-Up. Perfect for aircraft passengers, the Electric Travel Blanket makes for a great seat warmer at high altitudes. Made of polyester polar fleece, the large 42x58-inch blanket features an automatic temperature control and an eight-foot power cord that could easily reach the back seat of a small plane.
Price: $39.99
Contact: California Car Cover Co., (800) 423-5525, www.calcarcover.com

Heli-Skiing The Wild West. For helicopter and skiing fans alike, the Dunton Hot Springs Resort, located at the Four Corners where Colorado, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico meet, may just be the place to meld both passions. Helicopters will land directly in the center of the resort to pick you up for a day of helicopter skiing. Afterward, take in the romance of the Wild West by relaxing in luxurious and authentic 19th-century hand-hewn log buildings restored by local and Native American craftsmen or thaw out in a hot-spring tepee.
Price: Starts from $275 per person
Contact: Dunton Hot Springs Resort, (970) 882-4800, www.duntonhotsprings.com

Fly Write. Have you ever scribbled ATIS, flight following or navigational info on a piece of paper only to find that you've lost it minutes later? Well, forget no more with Seiko Instruments' InkLink Handwriting System. It transforms handwritten notes and drawings into an electronic format that can be stored, e-mailed and accessed via PDAs, laptops and even desktop PCs. The 4.75-ounce portable device comes with a 7.6x2.9x1.4-inch carrying case, a ballpoint pen, a data clip and an IrDA transceiver. It's a remarkable backup for those lost scrawls.
Price: $99.95
Contact: Seiko Instruments USA Inc., (310) 517-7700, www.siibusinessproducts.com

Strong Case. You can trust Witz's Utility Lockers to safeguard your small precious items during any in-flight turbulence. Portable and lightweight, they're impact-resistant and include an optional pick-and-pluck foam that eliminates items from being jarred when you encounter strong winds. They easily slide into a bag or backpack, and come with molded tie-down loops that fasten to any sturdy object---perfect for weekend fly-ins.
Price: $16.95 to $25.95
Contact: Witz, www.witzprod.com

Look Out. Spot traffic faster and better with the Oberwerk 10x50mm Wide-Angle Waterproof Binocular. The compact binocular focuses to less than 30 feet, features a bright, wide 6.5-degree field of view and offers a steady view at 10x power. It also has fold-down eyecups for those who wear eyeglasses.
Price: $129.95
Contact: BigBinoculars.com, (866) 244-2460, www.bigbinoculars.com

By Air And By Sea. Wanna try sea-kayaking but don't have a floatplane or a rating to get you there? Just fly into Jackman or Greenville Airport in Maine and have Birches Resort and Wilderness Expeditions pick you up and fly you there instead. Situated on the western shoreline of Moosehead Lake in Maine, the resort offers floatplane-accessed sea-kayaking, as well as guided plane rides. Accommodations include 15 waterfront cabins, six private home rentals and cabin tents.
Price: Varies
Contact: Birches Resort and Wilderness Expeditions, (800) 825-WILD, www.birches.com

Go Glass. Drive your car like a plane with Pioneer's AVIC-9DVD Multi-Functional DVD Navigation System. Its built-in 3-D hybrid sensor is used as an altitude-correction device, allowing you to monitor your car's incline, speed and direction. It even provides real-time traffic and weather information, an 8.5 dual-layer DVD-ROM that stores U.S. and Canadian maps and a graphics system that shows a driver's view, a map mode and even a gear view. In aviation terms, it makes for your own glass-paneled car.
Price: $2,000
Contact: Pioneer, www.pioneerelectronics.com

Music From Afar. Pilots and passengers who bring their iPods in the air can now use them wirelessly. The TEN naviPod is an iPod remote control that lets you manage its audio functions from any airplane seat. Plus, if you plug your iPod into your plane's stereo receiver or a pair of compact speakers that you can keep in the back, it allows the iPod to become your own in-flight digital stereo system.
Price: $49.95
Contact: TEN Technology, (866) 765-4834, www.tentechnology.com

Jump High. Skydive, air-force style, at 30,000 feet! Called HALO (High Altitude, Low Open), the program will have you free-falling in tandem with an expert jumper and wearing a flight suit with an oxygen mask. Jump training, a video of the adventure, digital photos, a certificate of completion and transportation to and from your hotel and the training and jump site will be provided. If you do attempt this feat, you'll be one of the elite few to ever perform this highest civilian tandem sky-dive in the world.
Price: $2,995
Contact: Incredible Adventures, (800) 644-7382, www.incredible-adventures.com

Joe On The Go. Enjoy a fresh shot of java anywhere with the Velox 12 V Espresso Maker. Just add water and coffee, plug the machine into your airplane's power socket, and soon, you'll be sipping a nice shot of espresso right out of the built-in, removable cup.
Price: $69
Contact: Espresso Zone, (800) 345-8945, www.espressozone.com

Have A Seat. Take your seat in your airplane with the PackSeat. Weighing only 26 ounces, the chair folds into a small, compact package and can be assembled or disassembled in seconds. It uses the same shock-corded technology as tent poles and can hold up to 300 pounds.
Price: $24.99
Contact: GCI Outdoor, (800) 956-SEAT, www.gcioutdoor.com

Powerless Blend. Flying into the backcountry doesn't have to mean bringing only bottled water and canned beverages with you. The GSI Vortex Blender allows you to whip up a smoothie or a fancy cocktail in the great outdoors, thanks to its dual-speed hand-crank system. That means no electrical source is needed. Plus, the base fits neatly inside the pitcher for easy, compact storage.
Price: $69.95
Contact: REI, (800) 426-4840, www.rei.com

Table To Go. The Top-Shelf Portable Table breaks down easily into four pieces and fits into a compact bag that you can stow in your airplane. The table is 18x18x19-inches and comes with an adjustable trash-bag holder on the side to hold any standard plastic bag.
Price: $33.99
Contact: GCI Outdoor, (800) 956-SEAT, www.gcioutdoor.com

Tuning In. Ideal for both passengers and pilots, the XP-ZR810 Portable CD and MP3 Player from Aiwa lets you select and preset up to 51 radio stations. It includes four weather band frequencies for local weather. It's useful if you want constant weather info for that go/no-go decision.
Price: $99.99
Contact: Best Buy, (888) BEST-BUY, www.bestbuy.com

Page It. Do you keep misplacing your airplane keys, hangar remote or logbook? With the "Now You Can Find It" Ultra 8 Wireless RF Electronic Locator, you can keep better track of any important gadgets. It includes small key rings that you can attach to the items so that all you need to do is push a button and voilà, no more lost valuables.
Price: $69.95
Contact: The Sharper Image, (800) 344-4444, www.sharperimage.com

Weather Anywhere. Check the weather with the Kestrel 4000 Pocket Weather Tracker. It's a handheld weather unit that computes wind, temperature, dew point and barometric pressure in several different units of measure. It also displays your current altitude based on the measured pressure.
Price: $329
Website: Nielsen Kellerman, (610) 447-1555, www.nkhome.com

Cool Off. If your cockpit is making you feel hot and bothered, try using the Feel-Good Fan. It's adjustable and releases cool air and negative ions wherever you point it. It's powered by an AC adapter or four D batteries.
Price: $39.95
Contact: The Sharper Image, (800) 344-4444, www.sharperimage.com

Tech Wear. Have you ever walked around air shows or even while flying and found that you're low on batteries? The SCOTTeVEST is lined with solar panels that charge a hidden battery pack that can boost any electronic device, such as a cell phone, PDA or a GPS unit. The company has several from which to choose.
Price: Varies
Contact: SCOTTeVEST, (866) 909-8378, www.scottevest.com

Rub It In. Sit back, relax and enjoy the flight with the Shiatsu Massage Leather Cushion. You can either focus the massage on the shoulder and lower back areas, or have the rollers travel up and down the spine. It's controlled by a handheld remote and powered via an AC adapter.
Price: $199.95
Contact: The Sharper Image, (800) 344-4444, www.sharperimage.com

Fast Finder. The AeroFix 406 GPS is a personal locator beacon that lets you broadcast your exact location to help search and rescue find you, even if you've decided to leave your airplane after an emergency landing. Signals are sent on the 406 and 121.5 MHz distress frequencies.
Price: $640
Contact: ACR Electronics Inc., (954) 981-3333, www.acrelectronics.com

Catch The Red-Eye. Here's a cool toy for gadget-loving pilots. The Sea Wolf 2x24 Monocular from Yukon Advanced Optics uses infrared technology to facilitate night vision. It's great for getting up close and personal with your airplane during the night preflight, or hand it to your passenger to help you fly at night.
Price: Varies
Contact: Yukon Advanced Optics, (817) 453-9966, www.yukonoptics.com

Flight Recorder. Canon's ZR90 Digital Camcorder lets you relive your perfect flight. It features DIGIC DV and VIC imaging technologies, a 22x optical zoom lens and low-light image capture, which produce clear images that you can enjoy time and time again.
Price: $499.99
Contact: Comp USA, (800) CompUSA, www.compusa.com

Plug It In. Now, you can have your own standard wall plug in the cockpit with the SmartWatt AC Inverter. All you need to do is plug it into a 10-volt to 15-volt power source, and you've got an instant wall plug for your mobile electronics. The unit has a power output of 150 watts and is small enough to fit in your plane's glove compartment when it's not in use.
Price: $45.95
Contact: Mobile Gear, (800) 426-3453, www.mobilegear.com

Take On The Ref. Cart along the Mini-Fridge Cooler/Warmer with you on your long flights to keep your drinks and food either cool or warm. The 12-liter-capacity refrigerator cools to 40 degrees F and heats up to 149 degrees F. It also features a pull-out shelf for easy stacking.
Price: $99.95
Contact: Mobile Gear, (800) 426-3453, www.mobilegear.com

Hot Shot. Canon's PowerShot A85 allows you to shoot and share your flying experiences in full-color 4-megapixel resolution. Its 11x zoom lens as well as its Digic image engine, which processes images faster and improves the auto-focus' accuracy, combine to produce images that you've always dreamed of.
Price: $299.99
Contact: Comp USA, (800) CompUSA, www.compusa.com

Neat Freak. The Backseat Organizer prevents the inevitable mess that appears during long cross-country trips. Just hang it on the back of the passenger seat for easy access to anything you put in it---charts, a GPS handheld and even a headset. When flying solo, just flip it to the front, and you'll have even easier accessibility.
Price: $18.95
Contact: Mobile Gear, (800) 426-3453, www.mobilegear.com

Phone Home. Wouldn't it be nice to keep in contact with your loved ones when you're flying in the backcountry where there's no regular cell service, or be able to call search and rescue in case of an emergency? At Satellitephonestore.com, you can do so by renting a satellite phone that provides coverage anywhere, anytime.
Price: $20 to $159.99
Contact: Satellitephonestore.com, (877) WHENEVER, www.satellitephonestore.com

Plane Art. Giancarlo de Astis creates one-of-a-kind, custom-made art from airplane parts slated for scrap meltdown. Just tell him what you'd like, and he'll make it for you according to your specifications. Some of the pieces that he has made include Il Primo, a desk that uses aircraft ailerons as its top; Il Sole, a conference table with DC-6 air scoops as its leg; and Il Cardine, a swinging lamp that uses aircraft door hinges.
Price: Varies
Contact: Giancarlo de Astis, (310) 839-2899, www.deastisdesigns.com

Lighting With An Edge. Perfect for flying to the wilderness or even as a survival tool, Venmark International's NightCutter M60 Combat Light is a lithium-powered pocket flashlight that features a serrated bezel that can be used for cutting almost anything outdoors. Constructed from machined aluminum, this combat light also can be used for signaling and has a stainless-steel belt clip for sturdy attachment.
Price: $149.55
Contact: Venmark International, (508) 987-2229, www.nightcutter.com

Lightweight Lounger. Prepare to get comfy by taking the Trail-Sling Ultralight with you in the cockpit. The 30-ounce chair holds up to 275 pounds and can be easily folded into the size of a water bottle. It also features a padded headrest and a lightweight aluminum frame.
Price: $34.99
Contact: GCI Outdoor, (800) 956-SEAT, www.gcioutdoor.com

Jack-Of-All-Trades. For minor aircraft maintenance and repairs while traveling, the Nautilus multi-purpose tool from Gerber does the trick. The tool features a flat tip and a cross-point screwdriver, scissors, bottle opener and a knife blade, all attached to a mobile LED flashlight, which comes in handy at night or in dark corners of the aircraft engine compartment.
Price: $45.95
Contact: Gerber Legendary Blades, (800) 950-6161, www.gerbergear.com

Play An Earful. The NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra is a pocket-sized audio player that you can take anywhere with you---even in the air. It can play and store up to 60 GB of music, which adds up to 16,000 songs that can be automatically arranged by artist, album, genre or track. The NOMAD also acts as a hard drive for photo and data storage.
Price: $239.99 to $369.99
Contact: Creative, (800) 998-1000, www.creative.com

Winged Car. Although the idea of combining a car and an airplane has been around for some time, a new variation on the theme is on the table for future buyers. Called the X-Hawk from UrbanAero, the flying car is a vertical-takeoff-and-landing, powered-lift, ducted-fan vehicle designed for just about any task. While the meat of this concept still remains a pie in the sky, a flying prototype has been built and is conducting ground and hover tests.
Price: Not yet available
Contact: UrbanAero, +972-3-683-5798, www.urbanaero.com

Survive The Crash. Survival Products Inc. has designed a 12-person Aviation Life Raft, which the company says is one of the most compact, light and affordable types on the market today. Some safety features include double tubing, heavy-duty neoprene-coated nylon fabric, a 10-second automatic CO2 inflation system that's easy to deploy and an optional, bright-orange canopy that makes the raft highly visible to aid in search-and-rescue operations. Just stash it in the back of your plane for emergency purposes.
Price: $4,221 to $5,995
Contact: Survival Products Inc., (954) 966-7329, www.survivalproductsinc.com

Fly Under The Sea. Learn how to fly the Deep Flight Aviator, a state-of-the-art, two-person submersible designed to "fly" underwater. Built to maximize the same principles of flight used by aircraft, the all-composite "airframe" is configured to fly with wings, thrusters and flight controls similar to the USAF A10 Warthog. Deep Flight Submersibles, the makers of the craft, is now offering a limited number of pilot-training opportunities to those interested---and you don't even have to go to boot camp first.
Price: $15,000, including the flight course and a four-night hotel stay
Contact: Deep Flight Submersibles, (310) 491-5577, www.deepflight.com

MiG-25 Head Wear. Look the part of a MiG-25 pilot with the GSh-6a High-Altitude Pressure Helmet. Similar to the one worn by Victor Belenko, who defected to Japan in his MiG-25 in 1976, the helmet features fire-retardant, green inner communications with a microphone and earphones, and an internal sun visor. Once you wear it, you'll be fancying yourself flying at the edge of the Earth's atmosphere just like a MiG-25 pilot does.
Price: $395
Contact: Siegler & Co.'s, (888) 442-7227, www.sovietski.com