Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

women or airplanes?

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
Register   Log in
tathepilot

tathepilot

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 5, 2003
Posts
884
Has anyone felt the same as me? Up until recentely I've stayed out of relationships because It causes me too much stress, I'm not in a situation where I have to choose between flying and my (new) girlfriend but I'm starting to get into these emotional states where I feel that my heart could cause me to take away the focus from my goals.

thx
 
dude, i don't even know where to begin with that one...

i've seen many guys have issues with their flying careers and their gf/wives

ideally, a woman would be understanding of the difficulties involved in our lines of work and what those difficulties might entail...

unfortunately (and i'm making a broad generaliization here, so not ALL) women tend to want to locate themselves in the vicinity of family
many, myself included, have had problems with women cause our jobs/careers required relocation or living in a certain area which they are unwilling or unable to contend with.

don't get me wrong, i love women (figuratively, and on an occasion or two, literally).
i know it probably sounds bitter, but i'm just trying to pragmatic about this.
best advice is when you start getting involved with one of the fairer gender is to make sure they understand all the possible ramifications of your career choice, so that there are minimal surprises.

granted there's always concessions but those are personal determinations you would have to make (commuting and the like) about what is acceptable to you as far as that is concerned

best of luck to you and all of us with women :D
 
Thanks for the replies, but where I currently stand the difficulties are premature to me having an actual job flying.
I just don't want to make a mistake like I did in the past by getting so emotionally involved with a girl where it takes away my focus from my carear goals.
 
Airplanes! They're cheaper!:D :p :D :p :D :p

Seriously, the "right" women will understand. Now ya just need to find her.

2000Flyer
 
A quick litmus test

Here's what I've observed over the years.

If a woman can tolerate some shop talk between you and your pilot buds she'll probably work out.

If she starts sighing and rolling her eyes and crossing her arms as soon as the discussion turns aeronautical, well, it ain't gonna last.

The women that I've seen stick around can handle *some* shop talk (I'm not saying they should have to sit there for hour after hour, hell, even I get sick of talking about planes).

Even better, if the woman starts asking questions and wants to learn some terminology. Some of my friends non-flying women are nearly fluent in shop talk.

They understand things like IOE, High Mins Capts, weather minimums, CRM and ATC.

It's impressive! And of course it never hurts to show some interest in their lives too, for cryin' out loud.

Live your life with no regrets, ok?
 
Seriously, the "right" women will understand. Now ya just need to find her.
Click to expand...
I found her! Asked her "the question" on friday night...she said yes!
What's even better is that she loves to go places for the "hundred dollar hamburger" and she wants me to teach her to takeoff and land. When we were in college she would help me study aviation material (she was in econ). She's awesome! She puts up with the "shop" talk and, get this, even goes to the airport to help me update my jepp charts!! She's a keeper!
 
Flying Illini said:
I found her! Asked her "the question" on friday night...she said yes!
What's even better is that she loves to go places for the "hundred dollar hamburger" and she wants me to teach her to takeoff and land. When we were in college she would help me study aviation material (she was in econ). She's awesome! She puts up with the "shop" talk and, get this, even goes to the airport to help me update my jepp charts!! She's a keeper!
Click to expand...

lucky sumbitch, well congrats bro,
many happy days to you and her
 
Ailerongirl said:
*shaking head* I've never understood this. There *are* women out who understand this career, why would you even get involved with someone who didn't?!?!
Click to expand...

Simple, Honey, its because of two reasons. Hooters and beer goggles.

FlyinIllini, congrats. Getting married (going on fourteen years ago) is one of the best things I ever did.
 
Last edited:
"If it floats, flies, or (you know what), rent, don't buy." :)
 
I have to agree with CL-65link.. If it float, flies, or fuc$s then it is much better to rent one. They are like expensive luxury cars, the better looking one you pick out the more money it will cost you and it will depreciate in value rather quickly. "Freedom" is reason enough in itself to stick with the airplanes.

No b!tching, whining, complaining, moaning, "moods", etc, etc, either with the planes..

my vote is obvious.:cool:

3 5 0
 
Has anyone felt the same as me? Up until recentely I've stayed out of relationships because It causes me too much stress, I'm not in a situation where I have to choose between flying and my (new) girlfriend but I'm starting to get into these emotional states where I feel that my heart could cause me to take away the focus from my goals.

thx
Click to expand...

I'll tell you what. There is a phase in the begining of relationships, called the "negotiating" phase.

If you properly bargain during this phase, you will be able to go through 12 years of marriage (even as pilot), call your wife at work and tell her you decided to spend 8,000 bucks on a pair of machine guns. Her reply should be, "Cool! Where are you taking me to dinner to celebrate?".

If your sweetie can't bear the thought of you taking 7 to 10 days off to go to a skydiving convention, with your male buddies, you have done two things wrong.

First, you lost round one in the negotiating phase in the relationship and second, you never earned her trust.

Look hard for a babe that can take the knocks. Treat your babe so she knows that you will never touch another. You'll get what you want out of the relationship. Settle for less and you will be stuck with taking that night manager job at the quickie mart and hearing her b!tch for the rest of your life...or marriage. Whichever comes first.
 
A.I.D.S.

Brother,

I feel your pain. When I was at Evergreen, I jumpseated quite a bit. I found that the aircrew had many issues with women. No the least of which was A.I.D.S. (Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome). This seems a common occurence with airline type lifestyles. For one reason or another... . I will say that it is a rare find when you meet and fall in love with a woman who is understanding of your passion. There will always be the "easy" woman who can help pacify your manly urges. The trick is to find one who meets your physical/emotional desires and is 100% supportive of your 2nd wife (aviation). My Brother, please listen to me when I tell you that women will come and go, but your passion will never die. Settle for nothing less then a woman who understands and supports this. Don't rush into anyting. Time reveals so much about a person's true character. No matter what you believe, the truth is that there is the perfect woman waiting for all of us. Be patient. Best of luck to you and happy landings!
 
Sad

I have to agree with CL-65link.. If it float, flies, or fuc$s then it is much better to rent one. They are like expensive luxury cars, the better looking one you pick out the more money it will cost you and it will depreciate in value rather quickly. "Freedom" is reason enough in itself to stick with the airplanes.
Click to expand...

350...if you're anything like your posts make you out to be, you are a sad human being. I had the distinct displeasure of flying an entire month with a guy who talked just like you write, and although i think both of you are arrogant pricks who are plagued with a terminal case of immaturity, i feel sorry for y'all more than anything. There's a whole other world out there and Flying Illini and many others know exactly what i'm getting at.

Say it with me..."Woman are good, Mesa is bad".
 
350...if you're anything like your posts make you out to be, you are a sad human being. I had the distinct displeasure of flying an entire month with a guy who talked just like you write, and although i think both of you are arrogant pricks who are plagued with a terminal case of immaturity, i feel sorry for y'all more than anything. There's a whole other world out there and Flying Illini and many others know exactly what i'm getting at.
Click to expand...


PositiveRate, now what do you really think?.:D Must have got the ball$ busted by a captain on a recent trip eghh.?? Think as you wish, your comments are taken at face value and that sure ain't much....

Say it with me..."Woman are good, Mesa is bad".
Click to expand...

Where in my previous post did I state that woman were not "good"?. I thought so....


3 5 0
 
FlyChicaga said:
tathepilot,

You should ultimately do what makes you happy. That's a given. But, there is a flipside. I'm not sure how old you are, but I am going to take a chance here and say you are under 25 or 26? You still have time to find someone to settle down with. At my current age of 22, I see all my friends in serious relationships, getting married, buying houses, and *GASP* having kids. Sometimes it works for them. Sometimes it does not. I think the best thing you can do it give yourself a stable footing beheath you, so that when someone comes along who you'd like to settle down with, you'll have the time and means available to put forward a decent effort in the relationship.

The secret to all of this is to make your hobby your job, and marry your best friend. Do that, and you'll be ultimately happy.
Click to expand...

I'll be 26 next month. We plan to marry on the last day of Jan. I think this will put some stability in my life. We are not having a big wedding 'now', it's just to make it official. I really do believe she is the one for me, it's just that I've been known to 'run' when situations get thick. If I always 'run', my problems will always be there. Now I have to be a man and face up to them. It just scares me when I think about loseing focus from my dream. In the past I got so emotional over a girl that it had a big impact on my life and that's what I'm scared of.
 
First off, thanks for the "congrats" from everyone!
Second, tathepilot,
I really do believe she is the one for me, it's just that I've been known to 'run' when situations get thick. If I always 'run', my problems will always be there. Now I have to be a man and face up to them. It just scares me when I think about loseing focus from my dream.
Click to expand...
If you believe that she is the one for you, then you are doing the right thing. I don't know how long you guys have dated but hopefully its been long enough to know how you (and her) will react to the good and bad parts of the relationship (every one has 'em). You shouldn't worry about her taking your focus off of aviation. Just as she shouldn't worry about aviation taking the focus off of her (it's tough when you've got two loves in your life!). She obviously knows how much aviation means to you which means that you and her will be able to have candid talks about what the next step in your career should be to help you reach your goals. Sometimes she will agree with you, other times she won't. You can either try to prove that you are right, or look for another way to the top. It's alot of give and take. If you have that love for each other, it will hold you together. Remember, compromise! Get her involved in as much of your life (the good and bad of aviation) as possible and that may help her understand if some drastic move is required down the road for you to reach your goal. Just keep in mind that if she works, she may have career goals as well. Good luck and congrats on gettin' hitched! Enjoy the ride!
 
think I got a good one

Man, sounds like I got pretty lucky with my wife... 14 yrs together and she still likes me! She's encouraging me to get going with an RV-8 project, already thinking about what kind of cool paint scheme we could put on it... And get this, 3-4 yrs ago I was riding an old '90 Yamaha FZR 600; she actually suggested that the old FZR was looking a bit tired and I deserved a new bike, been busting my butt all these years and I should treat myself to a new scooter. Had a new CBR 600F4 in the garage a week later...

No big, expensive wedding for us either, thank you very much, let's just run to Tahoe and get hitched. Worked out great... her ring? No rock at all, just a nice 2 tone engraved gold band. Cost $189. I should have bought her 2 of 'em. She still loves it.

She likes Guiness, Sierra Nevada Stout and Young's Double Chocolate Stout. If that ain't amazing I don't know what is. I also taught her to belch, she can rip 'em better than I can. I'm so proud...
 
Re: think I got a good one

jbDC9 said:
Man, sounds like I got pretty lucky with my wife... 14 yrs together and she still likes me! She's encouraging me to get going with an RV-8 project, already thinking about what kind of cool paint scheme we could put on it... And get this, 3-4 yrs ago I was riding an old '90 Yamaha FZR 600; she actually suggested that the old FZR was looking a bit tired and I deserved a new bike, been busting my butt all these years and I should treat myself to a new scooter. Had a new CBR 600F4 in the garage a week later...

No big, expensive wedding for us either, thank you very much, let's just run to Tahoe and get hitched. Worked out great... her ring? No rock at all, just a nice 2 tone engraved gold band. Cost $189. I should have bought her 2 of 'em. She still loves it.

She likes Guiness, Sierra Nevada Stout and Young's Double Chocolate Stout. If that ain't amazing I don't know what is. I also taught her to belch, she can rip 'em better than I can. I'm so proud...
Click to expand...

don't suppose she's got any younger sisters? :cool:
 
Words of advice..

Women will always be around for the good times... who wouldn't?
If they're around and supportive when you hit the rock bottom, and they stay with you, then they are a keeper.

I just got married also to my girlfriend of 2 1/2 years who has been with me thru some of the worst times in my life. She is now facing one of the biggest challenges in her life - she is getting deployed to Iraq for year. She's a flight surgeon in the Army. Although I am not happy with that, she knows and I know that I will be here faithfully waiting for her. She also knows that I am proud of her and that she has 200% my support.

One thing she always tells me if I want to do something, or go somewhere.. she says, have a good time and come home to me. When you come home, I want to hear all about it.

I love my wife... and I just hope she comes back to me alive and well. :(
 
Which do you think that you would regret more when you're old? Not having someone to grow old with or not flying?

Flying is great, but at some point the party is going to be over, whether it comes from a furlough or a lost medical or what-have-you.

The best scenario is to have both. I'm lucky in that I do.
 
Last edited:
First, I'd rather have an airplane than a ring.
I'm sad for men who have to complain about their wives and girlfriends, though I complained about my ex. He's a great friend now, and greater agent for my work, which isn't flying, but art, a more difficult profession to make a go in.
The man of my dreams is outside detailing my truck right now, bonding, while I wait for some paint to dry on one of my projects. We'll be married on July 1 this summer, simple ceremony, at an airport, turning into a hangar party, either there, or at our place, where there will hopefully be lots of oohing and ahhing over the Sonerai we'll be working on. It won't be finished by then, so won't be at the airport, but we'll fly away in something else. For me the secret was torment of bad choices, but learning experiences, hitting nearly rock bottom, and finally finding someone just like me, but with interlocking fittings. It can be done, but unfortunately, most of us have to go through crappy times first, so we know the difference between them and real happiness.
 
My wife bought my intro ride, she went to Sun & Fun twice and camped out in the cow pasture, she found our house in the airpark while I was in training on the SF340, she gave me the tail kit for my RV-8 for my birthday. This December she spent our vacation on the cold rainy outer banks to watch the Wright Flyer slide off the rail into the mud.

They're out there just keep looking and follow the dream.
 
All I have to say is that if you are with someone who is not supportive of your career.....seeee ya! All a chick like that will do is sucker you in and when she divorces you, takes half your s***. Unless that's what makes you happy......
Do whatever makes you happy. P.S. I am not speaking from experience (I am a chick)
 
Flying Illini said:
I found her! Asked her "the question" on friday night...she said yes!
What's even better is that she loves to go places for the "hundred dollar hamburger" and she wants me to teach her to takeoff and land. When we were in college she would help me study aviation material (she was in econ). She's awesome! She puts up with the "shop" talk and, get this, even goes to the airport to help me update my jepp charts!! She's a keeper!
Click to expand...

Congratulations!

That's almost funny to me because my boyfriend (now fiance, and man is that weird to think) asked me the same question on Saturday morning!! He loves aviation (his mother worked for Douglas), flying places with me, and is even entertained by the ATC-related stuff I'm into. We have a winner...

Stephanie
 

Share this page

Latest posts

Latest resources

Latest media

Carbon Cub FX-3 Shenandoah Valley
Carbon Cub at Kittyhawk
FX-3 in the backcountry
IFR Panel in a Carbon Cub FX-3
Cub-Provo-UT-c.jpg
Back
Top Bottom