Any guys have their significant other fly with them.

[airpup86C]

I like helicopters, she likes travel. Last year business was good, so I was talking about getting a new heli, she was talking about going to the Florida Keys. I called her up from IRCHA, where I'd just bought my new E700, and said, "Honey, guess what? We're going to Key Largo!"

Al

[pctomlin]

Been married coming up on thirty two years. Always an open conversation on buying new heli stuff. She does not care for the hobby but likes attending fun flies with me, go figure.

Always remember, stay below the line........

[kayakboy69]

Take her to Ikea after some online shopping!
As long as she gets to play and you get to play and you two play with each other ... then there is way less ammunition for a batch fest

[RuudM]

Go shopping... All she tryes like iT.. Buy all she wants... And then ad the end of the shoppingday start About your new heli ..now she cant reject [emoji6]

[trickybit]

Originally Posted by airpup86C

I like helicopters, she likes travel. Last year business was good, so I was talking about getting a new heli, she was talking about going to the Florida Keys. I called her up from IRCHA, where I'd just bought my new E700, and said, "Honey, guess what? We're going to Key Largo!"

Al

My wife loves to travel. I work a variant of that. While I was at IRCHA, she was in Madrid, Morocco and Paris. Without me. I'm in Muncie, IN for 4 days. What's wrong with this picture?

It helps when the money isn't at crisis levels. I'm glad she can travel and I can buy a heli per year, and that we get along just fine with our separate vacations.

Hey Snap, I said your wife was excellent... I should have commented on how your time investment has yielded dividends in the form of your kick-ass flying.

[vebbyson]

If your question is earnest, we can't help you...maybe Dr Phil can help.

[RudeRebel]

I definitely know where you are coming from. My wife is the same way. She doesn't nag me about it but she doesn't get why I spend so much time tinkering and flying,

To alleviate issues, I do the follwowing:
1) I've established a budget of what I spend on my hobbies and I stay inside that budget.

2) I keep a balance in terms of time. I try to keep my bench work to weeknights and don't start tinkering until the kids have gone to bed. I have one weekend day reserved for flying, but I also make sure we do family stuff on weekends as well.

3) I have a designated area in my house for my heli stuff and don't have stuff all over the house. I hang my helis on the wall to conserve space.

Because I have a budget and she had agreed to that budget, how I spend that money is my own business, including buying new/used helis and heli related stuff. Because I've defined space, I manage how much stuff I have. It also doesn't hurt that my dad is also in the hobby, so a good chunk of my flying time is spent with him. I also limit the time I spend on "other" activities.

She doesn't have to understand or share my passion for the hobby, and it's probably better she doesn't.

[johnsma22]

It's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission. And you get to keep the heli.


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[Heli$]

I have a side business along with my main career. I shuffle money around from the side business so magically there is money. I have a new kit I'm building downstairs in the Heli hut that my wife doesn't know about. I agree with the post above about forgiveness easier than permission.

Just buy it!

[Lanman]

But all the other kids are doing it.

[Aqwik69dart]

I have been battling this same issue myself since the moment I brought home my first heli last September (2013). Much money, and many arguments later, I just cleaned house and got rid of 80% of my collection with the other 20% to be listed soon. I came to the realization that this hobby is just too expensive to sustain a healthy relationship. Too many fights, I just decided no hobby or toys are worth loosing my family over (that's where it was headed FAST). Part (most) of my problem began with the hiding of the excess money. I became obsessed in a very short time. Flying every weekend, constantly tinkering, always making some new purchase. She had enough, and gave me an ultimatum.....helicopter hobby or family. My kids were crying, telling me that they miss me. I'm sad to let it go, but I'd be more sad choosing this over them. Just sharing a perspective from the extreme end of the spectrum. Good luck

[Raptorapture]

This is a recurring topic over the years. I think it provides insight into the maturity of both heli freaks and their relationship with their significant other. I wish I could claim to be at the mature end. At one time I thought maybe so. Given the lack of space, the number of heli's is becoming very visible. Now I only buy "parts"

[Raptorapture]

Originally Posted by Aqwik69dart

I have been battling this same issue myself since the moment I brought home my first heli last September (2013). Much money, and many arguments later, I just cleaned house and got rid of 80% of my collection with the other 20% to be listed soon. I came to the realization that this hobby is just too expensive to sustain a healthy relationship. Too many fights, I just decided no hobby or toys are worth loosing my family over (that's where it was headed FAST). Part (most) of my problem began with the hiding of the excess money. I became obsessed in a very short time. Flying every weekend, constantly tinkering, always making some new purchase. She had enough, and gave me an ultimatum.....helicopter hobby or family. My kids were crying, telling me that they miss me. I'm sad to let it go, but I'd be more sad choosing this over them. Just sharing a perspective from the extreme end of the spectrum. Good luck

Really sorry to hear that. Good on you. Great decision. Time is where I exert more self control. Hence very little flying.

[myxiplx]

Gotta have a balance, I'm totally hooked on heli's and wish I could fly more, but after work, family has to come first.

Budget wise the best thing me and the wife ever did is to properly look over our bills, budget for the year, and setup an account for all our bills. Every single bill goes out of there, and we know how much extra we have each month. We split that down the middle, and that's ours to spend on anything we like.

So we both get paid at the start of the month, we have a standing order that goes to the joint account, and every penny left over is ours to spend.

She buys clothes, makeup, and stuff from eBay. I buy heli stuff :-D

[FailureToFly]

Smart move mate!

At the end of the day it's flying toy helis and it is totally ridiculous from outside for grown men to be so caught up in it IMHO. Flying takes a lot of time to get good so it's daily sim work just to get ok at it and that means time away from family or pushing other stuff aside.

My wife recently said to me, 'You're not trying to become a pro are you'? (oh, what a cruel joke - I am far from pro material)

I replied, 'I just want to save money!' (simming to alleviate crashing!)

The moment you go big, you spend big unless you are a great flyer or have serious self control. Failures are part of the hobby and take up extra money and repair time above the already considerable amounts this frivolous hobby takes up.

I greatly enjoy flying but I feel a tad silly at times with all the effort and expense. I justify a new heli airframe when it's my birthday or Christmas etc as that is reasonable IMHO.

Originally Posted by Aqwik69dart

I have been battling this same issue myself since the moment I brought home my first heli last September (2013). Much money, and many arguments later, I just cleaned house and got rid of 80% of my collection with the other 20% to be listed soon. I came to the realization that this hobby is just too expensive to sustain a healthy relationship. Too many fights, I just decided no hobby or toys are worth loosing my family over (that's where it was headed FAST). Part (most) of my problem began with the hiding of the excess money. I became obsessed in a very short time. Flying every weekend, constantly tinkering, always making some new purchase. She had enough, and gave me an ultimatum.....helicopter hobby or family. My kids were crying, telling me that they miss me. I'm sad to let it go, but I'd be more sad choosing this over them. Just sharing a perspective from the extreme end of the spectrum. Good luck

[helibeli]

A dunking chair always works for me.

[CousinLarry]

I avoided the nagging and pestering and heckling by marrying an awesome girl

She does what she wants, I do what I want, she doesn't ever nag about anything, and I don't either. We live in perfect harmony! hahaa

I dated her for 6yrs before marrying her. Had to make sure she was good before popping the question. We've been married 7yrs now and we still act like highschool sweethearts.

I guess what I'm getting at is, if she doesn't make you happy, find one that does!! haha

[sharpeeee]

I guess no one thought of my solution: if she sees the package arrive, and wonders what it is, tell her it is for her! My wife now has 3 helis!!!

[jlharv]

I am seeing a pattern here..

It breaks down to two things, time and money.

1. Time, I make sure my wife knows she is priority one. I set a date night and if the guys fly on that night, they know I am out. And she knows that she is first. And she is happy when I go fly because that gives her time to do things or hang with the girls.

2. Money, I include her in the planning. If I sell a few things to pay for a new heli. Or flat out just buy it, She knows where the money came from and there is no surprise or secret. If I have to use a couple hundred from budget money (after all bills are covered), I try to give her the same to go shopping or what ever she wants to do. She loves the shopping and I get a new toy.

Bottom line is open communication. And she is happy for me to have a hobby that makes me happy. Some one made a joke about not being in the bar. She has literally told me that she likes this hobby way better than that alternative.

[Aqwik69dart]

Originally Posted by sharpeeee

I guess no one thought of my solution: if she sees the package arrive, and wonders what it is, tell her it is for her! My wife now has 3 helis!!!

I too tried the route of being less than forthcoming, I even made a post about it at one point. The guilt had built up to the degree that flying was no longer fun, it became a chore of story telling and hiding. Some of you have it lucky! Some wives are totally understanding and supportive, others are exactly the opposite. Mine happens to be that type. I think if I was honest with full disclosure from the very beginning, it might have been different. Then again, probably not....so for me, a choice had to be made. I am of the type of personality "all or nothing". I can not have just a small 450 and fly 1 or 2 times a month. Hell, look at my signature, I built that fleet in 5-6 months, not including the 2 total loss helis not listed. That's enough to drive ANY woman bat sh*t crazy. I'm still going to hang around, and I'm hoping the "gotta have it all" mentality eventually passes. For now, it's SIM time only. OK, enough of me stealing the spot light from the OP..... again, just offering a story from the extreme end of what can happen in this hobby when you make it more than a hobby, but a lifestyle - when your other half is not on board.