The milestone-birthday dad in good health who has already done the skydive and the V8 day, not someone who gets motion sick or has a heart condition.
What it is
A 25 minute jet fighter flight, of which approximately 15 minutes is take-off to touchdown, including a safety and mission brief beforehand and the use of a full flight suit and helmet. Allow approximately 1.5 hours in total, arriving 15 minutes early. Sold per person, with 5 year voucher validity.
Why we picked it
This is the top of the category for a reason: it is one of the very few civilian experiences in Australia that a man genuinely cannot replicate with money and a weekend, and it is not something he will ever quietly buy for himself. The flight suit and mission brief are not theatre, they are what makes it read as a day he was a pilot rather than a passenger. It is the right gift for a landmark birthday or a retirement, where the point is that the family clubbed together and did something unrepeatable. Five year validity gives him room to pick a clear day and bring an audience.
