Valentine’s Day: Romance on the Runway

You know you are in an aviation relationship when...

Meg Godlewski

Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

In honor of Valentine's Day, FLYING offers you some guidelines to help you determine your status. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Aviation significantly impacts relationships, either drawing partners closer together through a shared passion or pushing them apart, with no neutral ground.
It is challenging for aviators to find romantic partners who genuinely share their love for flying, leading to reluctance in defining relationship statuses.
The article offers several humorous and specific indicators of an "aviation-friendly relationship," where a couple's shared passion for flying is deeply integrated into their dates, discussions, gifts, and life choices.

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When it comes to relationships, aviation does one of two things: It either draws you together or tears you apart. There is no middle of the road.

It is a challenge to find that person who shares your passion for going skyward. For this reason, many aviators are reluctant to quantify their romantic situations for fear it could jinx them, or result in the horrible conversation, “Where do we stand as a couple?” which, I submit, is the romantic version of having ATC tell you, “We have a number for you to call.”