Making Myself Laugh #Mandiapolis

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Honolulu to Auckland

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Somewhere over the Rockies 57s fly...

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HND —-> SEA

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Paris Je t'aime...

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Le Pont de l'Archevêché My boyfriend and I got into Paris this morning with plans to stay for about 5 days. (Yay!!!!!) We stumbled upon this bridge after visiting Notre Dame. I was surprised when my boyfriend suggested we attach a lock during our time here... He is sweet and caring but normally isn't one for romantic gestures of that nature (or so I thought...). I got excited about the idea. Then I googled it (to make sure we didn't do something "wrong" per lock attachment etiquette that would forever doom our love... #anxiety) and it turns out there is a big controversy about whether this is art for love or an act of vandalism causing damage to the bridge. Seems like there are pretty mixed reviews. So now I ponder... To attach or not to attach... That is the question.

[mandiapolis]

Another male pilot and fan of your perspective. Please keep it coming.

Will do. Thank you for the feed back! I am working on a post titled "How to Be the Perfect Pilot Boyfriend" bwahahahah! :)

[mandiapolis]

Hi! Just wanted to tell you that I really enjoy reading your posts :) I'm in a similar situation, my boyfriend being a commercial airline pilot and i'm having a "normal" 9 to 5 job. It's nice to read about the things that you thought about like the lifestyle etc. Really speaks to me. That was also a struggle for me but as you said, we continue to learn. Hope to see more of your posts!

Thank you for the kind words! It is great to hear that you can relate. Pilot girlfriends / partners / wives understand one another in a very special way. It is an interesting lifestyle to be a part of and one I never imagined I would (not because I didn’t want to, but it had just never crossed my mind!). Now that I have learned more about it - and really about myself - I am starting to enjoy it.

If you haven’t yet, I would highly recommend joining your boyfriend on overnights when you can. I know it isn’t always easy with a 9-5 job but if he has a weekend trip you could try to swing it (just be careful about getting “stuck” somewhere with non-rev). It helped me get a much better understanding of the job and showed me what an overnight is really like (although I think my boyfriend would dispute this because we tend to do fun activities in these other cities, which doesn’t always happen with the crew - depends who he flies with). 

I really appreciate your feedback. I write to sort out a lot of my own thoughts but I am happy to learn someone found my posts and connected with them, too. I wish you the best of luck with your relationship!! 

[mandiapolis]

If you girls get anything figured out on how to put up with us boys who fly please share? Or things we can change, besides another career please. I could use all the help I can get some days. Pretty sure my GF thinks I'm insane at times...

I’m afraid the only option is for us girls to just accept you boys who fly as you are. If you’re anything like my boyfriend a huge part of what makes you “you” is your love for all things aviation (boyfriend has been trying to convince me that if we have children in the future we should use Ava as a girl name for “no reason”…)

That said, try to include your girlfriend in some of your aviation related activities. Take her flying and teach her a thing or two or put her on your flights benefits if you can (and if you work for an airline) so she can get a better understanding of the job. Tell her stories (within reason) about your flying experiences and planes you find super interesting, etc. Introduce her to people at your work so she feels more comfortable. Just don’t turn into this guy:

Q- How do you know when a date with a pilot if half over?

A- He says, “Alright, that’s enough about flying. Let’s talk about me.”

HAHA, ZING! :)

Realize that there are challenges involved for her and acknowledge them. It will make her feel appreciated. She does have to make some sacrifices and accept that she will be independent with a lot of things in life (social gatherings, time at home, responsibilities of the house / pets / kids / etc). Take an interest in something that is important to her as well. This is a two-way street. Tell her if it is hard for you to be away from her / home at times too. It will make her feel less alone and remind her that it’s hard on you boys as well.

I like aviation, my boyfriend’s job, traveling, and the lifestyle (as of now…) but it wasn’t always that way. It took me a bit to find my footing. I still have my struggles at times, and sometimes I worry about how I will handle it in the future if marriage & kids become a reality (especially the kids part).

But for now I can say that I love my boyfriend and am so happy that he gets to do something he loves for a job. 

Best of luck! 

[mandiapolis]

30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself

I have needed some perspective lately... and this article gave it to me. The older I get the more I realize it is not worth it to sweat the "small stuff" but to focus on the positives in life. I really like this whole article, but especially #5, #6, and #30. Take 5 minutes to read it -  you will thank yourself!

[mandiapolis]

Hey. I don't know how long ago that post was, but I was searching the pilot girlfriend tag and I just want to say thanks for making me feel not so alone. I am only 20, and my boyfriend of 4 years is yet to finish his degree in piloting and it's already so hard seeing him barely once a week..I don't know how I'll cope once he starts flying for a living. But I will. I dunno, your post made me cry. I wish I knew more pilot girlfriends. Thanks for writing that, anyway.

Hello!

I am so happy you found my post and it was helpful to you. Dating a pilot (or anyone who travels a great deal for work) can come with some challenges but can be very rewarding, too. There was a period of time where I struggled with my boyfriend’s work schedule. Sometimes I still have moments of doubt about whether or not I can handle the lifestyle, but those are few and far between. I learned a lot the first year we were dating and still continue to learn.

How long you have to go without seeing one another will depend on what type of pilot your boyfriend becomes. Working for the airlines isn’t so bad (from my perspective) - we usually don’t go more than 4-5 days without at least 1 day together (and usually he is home for more than just 1 day). I would suggest pursuing a career that you enjoy and having family/friends around as well as hobbies to stay busy. That is important no matter who you date in life - your own happiness has to come from within in any relationship.

I would encourage you to be honest with yourself and your boyfriend about your feelings. If you choose to stay in your relationship you have to accept that your boyfriend will be gone often. It is unfair to make him feel guilty for leaving or build resentment towards him for doing his job. I definitely let my boyfriend know if I am feeling lonely (which happens every now and then) but I try not to make him feel bad about it, and I certainly don’t feel like it is “his fault". 

I am fortunate that my boyfriend understands and is supportive if I do have a hard time. Good communication is key! Best of luck to you and your boyfriend!

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MSP --> AMS

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Berlin

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Europe here we come! A330.

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Sneaky Sneaky

Pulled off operation "Surprise the Boyfriend" this past Friday. He had a longer overnight in his hometown and plans with his family. I told him I was going up to the lake for the weekend... but I had secretly been plotting for a month that I would try to join him. He kept saying "I wish you were coming" and "Are you sure you don't want to come to Chicago tonight?" and I totally played it cool! Bwahahahah! Got to MDW on the flight before his, bellied up to a bar for a beer, and then waited patiently at his gate. When he came off the jetway his face went from disbelief, to worry that something was wrong, to a huge grin. I loved it! And so did he!

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Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many th

Great article. Great perspective!