The seven best flying experiences you can buy in 2020: from aerobatic flights to flight simulators
YOU don’t need to be a pilot to experience the adrenaline and freedom of flying.
If you’ve ever dreamed of flying a passenger plane, a vintage Tiger Moth, a microlight or even a hang glider, our round-up of the best flying experiences will give you plenty of options to add to your bucket list.
Flying experience vouchers are a great way to try something new and can be a brilliant addition to a UK staycation or special occasion celebration.
They also make great gifts and in some cases, you as the giver can even get in on the action by investing in a memorable experience that you can have together – we won’t tell if you don’t.
Note: Some operators are not currently flying due to Covid-19 restrictions but most vouchers are valid for future flights: please check individual operators’ websites before booking a voucher.
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1. Into The Blue Store
- (AD) £50 Flying Choice gift voucher box, £50 from Amazon – buy here
Looking for a surprising gift for a person who has everything? If they’ve got a head for heights and love thrills, then a flying experience voucher like this one from Into The Blue Store could be an ideal gift.
Your wannabe aviator will be able to choose from a huge range of unforgettable and unique flying experiences, including sightseeing flights, indoor skydiving, glider flights, gyrocopter experiences and many, many more.
The recipient will be able to redeem their voucher against any nationwide flight on the Into The Blue Store website, but may need to top up the value for more expensive experiences.
2. Virgin Experience Days
- (AD) Aerobatic flight experience, £135 from Amazon – buy here
Experience the total exhilaration of a ‘Barrel Roll’ or ‘Loop the Loop’ as you fly at speeds of over 100 miles per hour as the passenger on an aerobatic flight.
It’s not for the fainthearted (or the hungover, suggests Virgin Experience Days) but those who are brave enough will enjoy the exhilaration of this white-knuckle ride of loops, rolls, stall turns, chandelles and steep turns.
The experience is available at Burton on Trent, Redhill, Camberley and Exeter for thrill-seekers aged 12 and up.
3. EBG Helicopters
- Exclusive central London helicopter tour for two, £480 for 45 mins – buy here
See the sights of London from a whole new angle as you fly James Bond-style, over the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, the Thames and Greenwich.
Current restrictions mean that the EBG’s helicopters are only available for exclusive hire, so the price above means you’d have the chopper to yourself – and a glass of champagne is included.
This one has “super-special birthday gift” or “marriage proposal” written all over it.
4. Vintage Flying
- Vintage Tiger Moth flying experience, from £329 for 30 mins – buy here
Lovers of vintage aircraft and history buffs will be thrilled with the chance to take to the skies in a piece of British aviation history: a vintage tiger moth aircraft.
Don your period flying jacket, goggles and obligatory white scarf and buckle up in a genuine 1930’s tiger moth with your instructor behind you for a flight over the Derbyshire countryside – you’ll even get to take the controls for a while.
For a memento of your day, Vintage Flying has a cool collection of caps and T-shirts on sale too.
5. Fly Like A Bird
- Tandem hang gliding experience flight, from £129 per person – buy here
Forget the engine – if you want to experience what it’s like to glide over the countryside engine-free, like a bird, a hang glider flight is probably as close as you can get.
Once you’re airborne over the wild Exmoor National Park or the stunning coast of North Devon or North Cornwall, your instructor will talk you through how these amazing gliders work.
If the conditions are favourable, you may even be offered the chance to steer the glider through the air yourself.
6. Microlight Scotland
- Microlight flying lesson experience, from £99 for 30 mins – buy here
Like a hang gliding experience, a microlight flight will let you feel the wind in your hair but with the benefit of an engine, seeing you soaring at up to 2,000 to 3,000ft above sea level.
Don your cosy flying suit, electric heated gloves and radio headset and join your instructor on a teeny-tiny two-seater aircraft for a flight over the market town of Strathaven or the spectacular Scottish countryside.
If you have family or friends waiting for you on the tarmac, you’ll even get the chance to do a photo opportunity flypast to create special memories of your magical day out.
7. Flight Simulators Midlands
- Flight simulator experience, from £125 for 60 mins – buy here
Give the wannabe pilots in your life the opportunity to fly a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 to New York, Heathrow or wherever they choose on a real flight simulator that’s used to train professional pilots.
After a 30-minute briefing to take you through the basics of the controls and the instruments you need, you’ll be taking off on an experience that’s so lifelike, you’ll be convinced you’re flying when you’re still on solid ground.
For something different, try the Sully Experience: discover what really happened on the day that Chelsey Sullenberger landed a passenger aircraft safely on New York’s Hudson river and experience in real life the scenarios he faced.
More in Sun Selects Gifting
Want to try a driving experience day instead? We’ve rounded up the top gift packages you can buy.
Enjoyed our round-up of the best flying experience days? Adrenaline junkies can also check out our roundup of F1 experience days.
And if you want to take the action off-road, check out these rally experience days.