Getting Personal

                Up, Up and Away This Father's Day | Father's Day Gifts from GettingPersonal.co.uk
            
                It's easier than you might think to make your dad gasp with awe this Father's Day. Most fathers are still big kids at heart, they remember the toy airplanes they had as little boys and have always wanted to speed through the sky in a small plane, hover over their home town in a helicopter or even float magically up in a hot air balloon.

These are the sorts of dreams which last a lifetime. So, why not surprise your dad this Fathers Day by making it possible for him to get in to the sky? That might sound eccentric or impossible but in this article we will tell you just how easy it is to get your dad in to the blue and it's not that expensive either!

Airplanes

You could get a flying lesson experience day as your dad's Father's Day gift. They start at just £106.68 and last for about 1 hour and thirty minutes. Your dad would be shown around the airplane and told how everything worked before getting in and being taken in to the sky by a qualified instructor, then he could have a go at keeping the plane up there himself. Your dad could really try his hand at flying this Father's Day!

Airplanes must be one of the most traditional and exciting boy toys out there and films like Top Gun have made a little room for a fast airplane in every dad's heart. The smaller models used for fun and flown at air shows usually seat two people and they have loud, powerful engines which propel them in to the sky. 

Flying an airplane takes a lot of personal knowledge on things such as navigation and an understanding of weather conditions. It also takes bravery and skill to manoeuvre the plane appropriately and, rather importantly, land it! Don't worry about your dad though he won't have to learn all that. He'll get taught the basics and the instructor will take care of the rest.

Gliders

Another good gift to get your dad up in the clouds for Fathers Day might be a gliding experience. They start at £57.74 so they're more inexpensive than flying and can be just as much fun. They're also a great Father's Day gift for a dad who has already tried his hand at piloting an airplane and might like trying something different.

The experience of being up in a glider isn't unlike being up in a plane but there's one distinct difference. It's quieter. You see, with a glider there is literally no engine powering it. The glider gets up into the air by being tugged on a winch much like when you run along the ground to set a kite off flying. 

Then, once it is in the air the glider can adjust aspects of its design to take advantage of upward air flows (again, it stays in the sky just like a kite!) and when you want to land a glider, you adjust the wings and circle down for a gentle landing. Usually gliders do not go for long distance trips; instead they stay within landing distance of the air strip on which they're kept.

Helicopters

Most of us have seen helicopters before but not many people really understand how they work. The rotorblades at the top of the helicopter turn so fast that they create enough force to displace the air and lift the craft off the ground. Helicopters have certain advantages over fixed wing aircraft such as airplanes because they can land vertically and are able to hover in mid-air.

Interestingly, helicopters are not a particularly new idea. In ancient China children would play with 'flying toys' which were made from bamboo and used the same principles to fly as a helicopter! Some ancient texts also suggest the Chinese made working bamboo and leather helicopters which could carry people.

As a staple of action films a helicopter flight makes a great Fathers Day gift and a 15 minute flight experience only costs £96.89. 

Hot Air Balloons

Hot air balloons are probably the most relaxing of all the flying machines out there. They are majestic and enormous. A champagne balloon flight on Father's Day for your dad and some friends or family would cost you just £181.06 and it would be a really memorable experience for everyone.

Working on the principle that warm air rises, the balloon is filled with warm air and it carries the comparatively small under carriage (basket) beneath it up in to the air. Wind currents then carry the craft in any given direction. By adding hot air to the balloon the craft climbs to higher altitudes but by letting it cool the hot air balloon drifts slowly down towards the earth.

Related article: How To Buy A Top Father's Day Gift (Fathers Day)