Unique Pilot Ornaments to Decorate Your Aviation Christmas Tree

Did you ever realize that Santa Claus and pilots have something in common? We all love to fly. Maybe that’s why Santa makes an appearance on so many aviation ornaments. He embodies not only the spirit of Christmas, but also the joy-spreading potential of flight.

This year, celebrate by decking the halls with all sorts of aviation-themed holiday decorations. The focal point of the festive delights is your pilot Christmas tree topped with special ornaments that will delight pilots and fans of all ages.

Here are our favorites:

Kid’s Aviation Ornaments

Invite the young, new generation of aviators to join in on the fun with colorful non-glass ornaments. Your kids will love hanging these whimsical, playful decorations on the tree all by themselves.

Personalizable Astronaut Christmas Ornament

Your pint-sized resin space traveler is all suited up for a spacewalk and he’s surrounded by stars and a ringed planet. The biggest star is the perfect spot to write the year or your child’s name for a personalized keepsake.

Wooden Santa in a Plane Ornament

Wood ornaments are rustic, traditional, and a perfect fit for the “littles” in your life. This German-made wooden bi-plane comes from craftsman Christian Ulbricht. It is painted in bright primary colors and is flown by a quaint little Santa with a pack on his back.

Your kids will love this treasured ornament so much, they may even “fly” it around the room a few times first before helping it touch down in the perfect spot on the tree.

Wooden Aviation Christmas Ornaments

These next couple ornaments aren’t specifically for kids, but they are made of wood, so they are safer around kids and pets than delicate glass ornaments. Either way, we love the fun, retro feel of the wood biplane looks like it came right out of a classic drawing. It's a perfect addition to a traditional, rustic aviation-themed Christmas tree.

Customizable Christmas Ornaments

Kids and adults alike feel a certain sense of pride when receiving and displaying a customized ornament to mark a special occasion in their lives.

The kid’s astronaut ornament is a creative way to celebrate or announce tickets for Space Camp or another STEM event. 

Commemorate becoming a pilot or flight attendant with a personalizable airplane wing ornament.

Speaking of pilot gift ornaments, we have to include the Sereno Santa flying a jet. Instead of his usual red suit, this Santa is in full pilot uniform showing off his four stripes as he sits atop his personal jet. If you wanted to, you could carefully paint a name or date on the wing of this hand-blown glass ornament.

Is someone you love joining or retiring from the military this year? Maybe the military member you love is away serving and can’t be with you around the tree. Do you want to commemorate the life of a loved one who made the ultimate sacrifice?

Celebrate and honor those who have served and are serving or with a personalizable military ornament. Our resin ornaments have room to add details like name, rank, and year.

Choose from an Army tank, and a non-branch-specific camouflage military Humvee.

Military Christmas Ornaments

Speaking of military ornaments, we don’t just have the personalizable tank, aircraft carrier, and Humvee. Santa also supports the troops when he arrives courtesy of Kurt Adler dressed in a full camouflage version of his usual suit complete with tan combat boots and dog tags. Santa’s long beard may not be within military regs, but he does have a name tape, and if you look closely, you’ll see the US flag and a North Pole unit patch on his arm.

Take your favorite veteran or service member back to their childhood with seasonal ornament versions of the famous green “army men” many of us played with as kids. Your two holiday army men team up to protect and defend Christmas. One hoists a shiny red ornament bulb over his head ready to place the decoration wherever his commander orders. The other is stationed atop a gift crate armed with a candy cane. Don’t mess with this guy. It looks like he’s been tasked with ensuring no one opens their gifts until December 25^th.

Hot Air Balloon Ornaments

There’s something about hot air balloons—maybe it’s the romantic mystique or the fact that while we fly in planes all the time, most of us rarely if ever take to the skies in a balloon.

Whatever the reason, Santa seems to be a big fan of this unique form of transport judging from all the Santa hot air balloon sightings we’ve made this holiday season.

Here are our favorites:

• Kurt Adler Noble Gems glass Santa in red and white balloon
• Christopher Radko glass Santa and elf in hearts and stars balloon
• Kurt Adler Noble Gems gingerbread couple in peppermint candy balloon
• 3-piece light up Santa, snowman, and reindeer balloon set

Collectable Aviation Ornaments

Add some aviation flair to your collectible ornament stash. The Glitterazzi aviation Santa and Glitterazzi snowman pilot come to you courtesy of fine artisans in Poland. Choose your favorite unconventional pilot.

Both are decked out in cozy sky-blue coats with puffy white cloud and hand-painted bi-plane accents. They must be doing some aircraft maintenance, because both Santa and his snowman friend have their propeller in hand as they head to the snowy tarmac.

Bonus: Christmas Decorations for Pilots

These last few holiday delights won’t hang on your tree, but we’re betting you (like us) will find a spot to showcase them on a mantle, bookshelf, entry table, window display or even countertop.

Steinbach “Chubby” Junior Nutcracker

Nutcrackers are classic Christmas décor fare, and this functional yet decorative Santa nutcracker is a hand-carved Steinbach design direct from the mountains of Marienberg/Erzgebirge, Germany. Your collectable nutcracking friend is dressed for the season in a Santa suit. He comes bearing the gift of a blue model plane to present to a lucky child. The popular “Chubby” nutcracker stands 10” (28 cm) tall.

Possible Dreams Santa Propeller Plane Figurine

A jolly Santa squeezes himself and his sack of goodies into a compact yellow propeller plane that seems custom built for STOL operations on rooftops around the world.

This collectable hand-painted resin Santa figurine is a new design from artist Ann Dezendorf’s Possible Dreams Collection. Santa and his updated delivery craft measure 9” H x 10” W x 12” L.

Musical Santa Helicopter

Santa has been sighted overhead, but he’s not in his customary sleigh. This time, if you look carefully, you’ll see Saint Nick at the controls of a green and white helicopter as he transports his payload of gifts. Santa usually flies under the radar but listen closely because this year he’s spreading a little extra joy and excitement by piping out festive holiday music for all to hear.

Jay Strongwater Santa Box Figurine

Designed and crafted for true collectors, this Santa box figurine from Jay Strongwater is exquisitely detailed. Santa waves as he takes to the sky in a red-and-white hot air balloon that hinges open to reveal whatever little goodies you hide inside.  The pewter balloon is finished with an elegant 14K gold overlay and jewel-tone hand-painted detailing. Handset Preciosa stones catch the light and add a festive shimmer to this stunning box.

Pilot gift idea inspiration:

Your tree is decorated – now all that’s missing are some presents to put beneath it. Looking for suggestions? Here’s what we have on our own lists:

• Pilot Mall Holiday Gifts for Pilots and Aviation Enthusiasts
• Top Gun Official Aviation Winter Weather Apparel
• Large Helicopter Models to Gift Your Kids
• The 12 Accessories You Need to Take Your Pilot Headset to the Next Level
• Casual Aviation Apparel Guide for the [Stylish] Off-Duty Pilot

P.S. – In all the decorating and gift giving bustle, don’t forget to mail your holiday greeting cards.

It’s your turn

What are your favorite Christmas traditions? If you decorate your tree or house with aviation-themed décor for the holidays we’d love to see it. Upload your best pilot decorations to Instagram and tag us (@pilotmall) for a chance to be featured.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the entire Pilot Mall team!