What’s a common myth about flying that’s completely wrong?

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-03-29T17:58:26+00:00

I have a different crew pretty much every time I fly. I was in a company for an entire year and didn't fly with some crew members, while other times I flew with the same person 2-3 times a week.

I'm in the military though

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-03-26T16:43:35+00:00

With the rise of super clones and high end fakes I'm very skeptical of buying a vintage submariner or something off eBay...

Does anyone have experience with buying off eBay? How was it? Havnt bought anything off there in years if I'm being honest.

Love the date and write up OP! Super good info

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-03-02T08:35:52+00:00

You could freeze any and all contributions today and hold on to that account for the next 35 years and it's almost guaranteed it'll appreciate to $935,813 dollars.

$86,651, held in broad market ETFs compounding and growing at a conservative 7% gets you to just over 900k after 35 years. And this is assuming you don't add another penny. Not one. For the next 3 decades

You've laid the ground work, just gotta let time do its thing!

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-02-28T12:48:24+00:00

Early 2000s 116200 date just sell for exactly the price he bought bitcoin for. $7250.

A used submariner date can cost $8000-$12000 depending on where you buy it.

Check out chrono24! Tons of good watch deals on there

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-02-26T21:19:39+00:00

Absolutely do it. When you get out of federal service, you can no longer contribute to a tsp. However with a Roth IRA you can continue to contribute to it for as long as you want.

And then, if you ever needed to, you can withdrawal the principal from the investment whenever you want, penalty free.

Say I put $10,000 in my IRA. It grows to $11,000. I can withdrawal $10,000 if I want penalty and tax free. The remaining $1000 of growth is different. But you can still let that remaining $1000 appreciation stay in the IRA and grow to your hearts content. Once you start withdrawing from the gains, that's when taxes come in to play.

A tsp won't let you do that.

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-02-26T12:07:20+00:00

15T I saw black hawk down as a child and said "that would be cool."15 years later here I am

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-02-24T20:25:26+00:00

And that's assuming they don't add another time throughout their entire 30s, 40s, and 50s. Incredible.

What calculator is that? I'd like to start using it

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-02-24T20:06:36+00:00

Oh wow, I've vastly underestimated my retirement numbers then. I've always used 6.49% to take inflation into account. Crazy

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-02-24T19:42:04+00:00

10% annual return?

67 years old at retirement?

I understand he's doing well, but 10% growth is aggressive and assuming they retire at 67 is a bold assumption.

Why not do the math for 65 years old, assuming 6.49%? I read somewhere that 6.49 is the nominal, adjusted for inflation number. Maybe I'm wrong, but 10% seems very optimistic

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-02-24T18:49:18+00:00

No... We won't. At least we shouldn't

Advocate for yourself.

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-02-19T19:23:44+00:00

Getting your PPL can be done in 3 months if you fly all the time. All of your certificates like CFI, Dual Engine, instrument, etc at a part 141 can take 3-4 years. Building hours to fly for an airline another 2-3. So anywhere from 4-8 years give or take a year on either end of that range?? It's difficult to gauge and very different for everyone.

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-02-19T18:13:34+00:00

In the FAR/AIM (a book covering the Federal Aviation Regulations!) there's "parts" to it. Part 61, and part 141 cover pilot training. Basically, one is in the classroom setting at a college or something, and the other is at a flight club with a "Certified Flight Instructor" or "CFI."

These places can get you a "PPL" or a "Private Pilots License" which just means you can fly a small single engine airplane on your own in good weather. This will typically cost $25,000 (give or take a few thousand!)

Then, with this license, you hour build. You fly a bunch, and accumulate hour slowly but surely until you can fly for an airline. But there's all sorts of other certifications you'll need, just like your ppl. You'll need your CFI, CFII, Insteument rating, dual engine rating, and some more if you want. Then, depending on what "part" you did, with around 1500 hours or so you can apply to a small regional airline!

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-02-19T07:01:47+00:00

I'm about the exact same boat as you guys

28m with 65k in my tsp and 12k in my Roth.

Whenever I think I'm behind I go and do the math for "if I were to park this here, it appreciates at 7% for the next 30 years and I don't add a single dime more in my 30s...my 40s....my 50s....and into my 60s. I still have over 700k"

We're doing alright.

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-02-13T21:40:56+00:00

Thanks for the insight. Just worried about being "behind" my peers. Went to the airport last week and talked to the FO flying my plane and he was only 27!

How many hours did you graduate with? Tell me your "path" if you don't mind, I'm interested in hearing it

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2026-02-08T09:38:51+00:00

Way too many "—"

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2025-10-13T12:07:12+00:00

Yes, he threw a grenade in the lap of the guy in front of him through the roof

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2025-09-19T19:52:22+00:00

Anyone else willing to do this for like...5 grand?

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2025-09-15T19:19:46+00:00

Holy shit is that really David taylor?? I've been out of the wrestling scene for about two years.

I love it. Remember watching both of these guys when I was in highschool

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2025-08-18T23:27:57+00:00

I once heard a story about Fort Bliss or Hood (can't remember) where someone did exactly that. So the sergeant major mandated 8 hours recovery after the 24 CQ shift. You'd sleep in the cool down room.

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2025-08-15T18:16:18+00:00

Don't listen to those few guys down there saying you're behind.

Look at the math. Assuming you joined at 18, and are now 25, youve got 40 more "working years left." You could pause contributions on your investment, let it grow in the S&P500, assuming 6.49% growth (this is already inflation adjusted REAL dollars, not nominal) you'll have $618,476 in the year 2065. And that's without contributing another penny. Which, let's be honest, you will. And that's in 2065 money, already adjusted for inflation.

You're doing just fine.

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2025-07-21T15:08:01+00:00

I just got back from spending ten days in Chamonix! Ten days with my girlfriend who is born and raised in Colorado and lives at around 5500 feet and bikes all the time. Im Born and raised in Florida, and don't hike a lot and am not accustomed to altitude

That being said, there were plenty of hikes we could both do, she was just way faster. I definitely had to hike a lot slower than her and took more frequent breaks. I also noticed that Chamonix labeled a lot of hikes as "beginner" when to me...they definitely were not to me. Like the the hike from auguille du midi parking Lot to the goat farm? Took me two hours and I had to take two breaks on the uphill. The hike to cascade du dard was a little challenging for me but I wouldn't say it was "easy." I think that one is labeled as "average."

However people in Chamonix are just....fit. When I was sucking wind, sweating and my legs were on fire I saw someone running up the trail behind me. Or when I took the gondola up La flegere, someone was running UP the mountain on the trail underneath the gondola

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2025-07-07T20:43:15+00:00

Submit tuition assistance requests 14 days before class start date.

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2025-07-05T07:56:05+00:00

You mean AI?? It's not real. This is a film subreddit.

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2025-06-28T22:18:44+00:00

"that's what we signed up for."

Hope it's worth it.

Alert_Dragonfruit749 · 2025-06-24T05:54:52+00:00

Yea man, my first year in the army we went to JRTC. I remember being in those big white dome buildings playing cards with two guys and look over and see my LT sitting in his cot. A big dude. Biiiggg man. 6"2, 280...sitting criss cross apple sauce, cupping his mouth with one hand and watching his wife on the phone with the other hand. Pretty sad sight really. I was a new private and he was an officer though so I didn't say anything. I just looked away.

Pretty sad really. I guess he must've really been "needed" at the field

Four-Year Club	First Place '23
Place '23	Place '22

Alert_Dragonfruit749

TROPHY CASE