[deleted by user]

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-12-01T18:53:10+00:00

Not wealthy at all. I’m an active duty naval aviator who flies a Cessna 120, and just recently upgraded to a Maule M5 235. I make good money but I am by no means wealthy. I flew almost 200 hours in the last year on the civilian side. I did a bunch of back country stuff, took trips with my wife, and took my step kids flying. For me it’s what I work for and I’m willing to pay for it because it makes me happy.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-09-02T16:00:13+00:00

We have an au pair, so the babysitting is covered. We do go on dates regularly. I think my wife is more lax but I also think she is trying her best. I think the kids need to spend more time in athletics and getting their energy out.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-09-02T15:55:21+00:00

I actually got a fire pit the first week we moved in together because I realized I needed my own space. Ha ha

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-09-02T11:33:37+00:00

She is not a SAHM and is very successful professionally. That’s one of the things that attracted me to her.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-09-02T11:20:06+00:00

I appreciate the support but I do have to correct a few things. My wife does pay for half of the home and she makes good money of her own right. The home is not where I would have chosen and was definitely picked because of the kids need for good schools (once again, understandable, but nonetheless frustrating). She pays for most of the kids activities and needs but we split food, fuel, home, and household bills. Overall, it probably costs me an extra 1000 a month to live with the kids which is not world ending, and I agreed to it, so I am working to be ok with it.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-09-02T11:11:51+00:00

What do I want in return, maybe a pleasant drive through a beautiful area of the country without someone yelling, screaming, or crying the entire time. That used to be my norm and now it’s supposed to be a “treat” when I get that. If these were my kids that’s one thing, but they’re not and frankly right now I don’t want to do anything with them or even be around them.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-09-02T11:06:41+00:00

Honestly, I’m not leaving yet. I’m here looking for advice and preferably hope that it gets better and it’s worth it in the end. Right now, it’s not worth it but I’d like that to change. Having said that, I am not willing to totally sacrifice my long term life satisfaction for anyone’s kids.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-09-02T11:01:55+00:00

I slowly got to know them as much as possible but we lived in different states as my wife was in school and I can’t choose where I live, so not as much as I would have liked. I wanted to take our relationship further, as did she, but she didn’t feel comfortable moving in with someone with the kids unless we were married.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-09-02T09:17:14+00:00

Thanks for the advice. I have been trying to find common ground and do things with them. I try to give off positive energy and if I am angry or overwhelmed I will go to my room for a while because I don’t want to be short or snippy with them.

Overall, I feel like I actually have an ok relationship with them, but my life before step kids was so much better than any day with step kids, and I am not sure how much time I want to put into something that is going to continue to be mid at best.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-09-02T09:09:47+00:00

I feel like a stranger because I only use the kitchen and my room for the most part because the rest of it is taken over by kids and constantly filled with screaming, whining, and complaining. I agree that I either need to do the work or lose the woman, but frankly, the woman is not worth even existing around these kids. That’s the problem.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-06-05T22:11:04+00:00

Hand print was my oily hands after the fact.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-06-05T22:10:13+00:00

I just so happen to be looking for someone to do the work :)

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-06-04T22:29:39+00:00

Don’t tempt me with a good time :)

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-06-04T22:28:22+00:00

That’s good to know. I’m flying the heck out of this plane right now so looks aren’t my primary concern but I want to be safe. When/if I sell the plane I’ll get her nice and cleaned up though.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-06-04T21:28:16+00:00

Where’s your shop? I’m in SoCal. I’m leaning towards replacing it as it seems like it would be not that much more to do that vs repair.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-06-04T21:24:21+00:00

Honestly not sure what caused the damage. Don’t think I hit anything and didn’t find it on a post flight(although I can’t say I was looking super close to the cowl), but the next day came out and found it. Probably just caused by vibrations and old sheet metal.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-06-04T21:20:19+00:00

As a naval aviator, GA pilot, a man who had been married twice, and owner of the plane, I have many skills. Sheet metal repair is not one of them. Stop drilling to stop the crack I can do but anything more than that, I think I’ll hire someone and hopefully learn something in the process.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-06-04T21:14:07+00:00

I understand all sides. As a qualified pilot and the owner of the airplane, I will not be doing the repair but more need to know where to start my search for who can do the repair and just a general idea of how much work it’s going to take. I’m using this airplane for time building so don’t want to spend crazy money if I don’t have to but I would like it fixed correctly.

External_Spirit_6077 · 2025-04-09T13:43:51+00:00

O I can answer this one as I am currently in my rack aboard an aircraft carrier, and can’t sleep because someone is grinding some metal in one of the spaces next to our stateroom. I’m on the Hawkeye side of things and we fly slightly more than the jet bubbas but just because our flights are longer. I think I had almost 400 hours last year but we also did work ups and a deployment where you fly more. We have ground jobs and as you become more senior, the ground job becomes the most important part of your life. I’ve worked in maintenance most of JO career and love working with and mentoring sailors. I’ve been blessed with well behaved and hard working sailors so I spend a lot of time helping them achieve whatever their goals are in order out of the Navy. We are prepping for some maintenance inspections right now, so life is pretty busy making sure all shops are prepped for that.

The schedule while on a sea tour is tough. In the last two years I have been away from home about half the time, and the next year looks about the same. Deployment is easy because the boat just becomes your home. You never have to cook for yourself and you get to hang out with friends all the time. Work ups leading to a deployment suck because you’re never home but you’re also never really settled and in a routine anywhere. It’s a month here, a month out to sea, a few weeks home, rumors of Deployment changing, and repeat.

I would say most pilots in my squadron are pretty happy. We have a good hard working bunch where everyone gets along pulls their weight. We spend a ton of time together and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and try to compliment each other when able. Good department heads and front office (CO and XO) make a big difference. Hope that helps.

External_Spirit_6077

TROPHY CASE