Do Plastic Pilot Wings Still Exist?
 

It's me again, the one who posted about flight attendant outfits. :p

My company is also trying to buy a large amount of cheap little plastic pilot wings. I've looked everywhere and gotten in touch with airlines, and it seems impossible to buy these in bulk. I know that some airlines still give them to kids, but they won't let anyone purchase them.

Anyone have any ideas? There are websites that sell them, but we need a large quantity for a very low price.

Thanks for any ideas!!

Depending on what you are calling large, your best bet may to just get them made for you. Any custom pin company could do it, probably in the area of 50 cents or less per each pin, maybe a couple hundred dollar charge for the mold if they don't have it already. Minimums may be in the thousands though, but if that's what you need, may as well get custom ones.

Don't forget the trademark issue. If they don't want you to have them (although I don't know why), just making them yourself could get you in a heap of trouble.

Make them with your logo. Avoids this issue and makes 'em special. Why plug an airline when you can plug your own company?

I didn't mean to make United's or Delta, sorry, I would use your own logo.

Turn to eBay for your answer
 

I've often seen whole bags (quantity of 50 or 100) of Delta wings for sale on eBay. Doa search every so often and you'll probably find them available.

Cool, thanks for all the info.

Several years ago I was invited to talk to some 3rd graders about travel. I called up Southwest Airlines and they gave me a case of honey roasted peanuts, a stack of postcards, children packs and pilot wings. The kids loved them.

I haven't seen these things in years.

My son has made about 20 flights and has never been offered one. Frankly, he's never even spoken to a pilot on any flight - they are too busy and are locked in the cockpit - not their fault. We were in a hotel and some DL pilots shared our elevator and one of them gave him a baseball card with details of an MD-88 on it. Nice gesture, but not the same as the wings.

I can remember seeing them as a kid and imagining you could fly if you had them. But that is back in teh days when if you had the sneakers with the red dot on the back it meant you could run faster. Kids these days have less imagination, and the shoes come with real flashing lights.

I've seen UA Captains on 757s offering them at Door 2L to the kids. And the FAs (especially if SEA-based) will usually send the kids up to the cockpit for a visit.

I hadn't seen them in a long, long time, and my little ones had never received them on flights. But I went to the United counter at PIT two weeks ago to pick up some tix, and the ladies there gave me two sets, one for the little one that was with me and one for her sister at home.

They have wised up - it now has double sided tape instead of a sharp piece of metal that we stuck into our chests when we were growing up.

I remember I received one as a kid on an international trip. I did still have it on my carry-on luggage but I have recently lost it. :(

I still have quite a few of them from my childhood ....

TWA...Eastern....Western....National...dang, I'm getting old!

The pilot handed one to my daughter after a CO flight from EWR-AUA last year. It may be more common on vacation type destinations where there are more kids onboard.