Love's in the air: RSAF officer marries ex-SIA stewardess, names baby Maverick

They first met on Instagram five years ago, when one was completing his military training in the United States and the other was flying through the skies as an Singapore Airlines stewardess.

Love blossomed between the pair after they met each other in person for the first time while she was working on a San Francisco-bound flight, and they eventually tied the knot in 2021, Lianhe Zaobao reported.

Fast forward to today, Captain Chua Kang Yi from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and his wife Vivian Chua now live in Idaho.

According to the Chinese daily, the 32-year-old was posted to the Peace Carvin V detachment to serve as a F-15SG weapon systems officer and was joined by his wife last August.

For her, life in the US involves looking after their seven-month-old son Maverick and doing household chores — a far cry from her former lifestyle as an air stewardess.

Fortunately, the Singaporean community there is close-knit and supportive of each other, the 31-year-old shared. 

The families would cook and share homemade Singapore dishes and often gather for potluck dinners. When the men work the night shift, their spouses would bring their children to visit and mingle with other families. 

It is this camaraderie that helped the Chua family when their baby developed swollen eyes while Chua was in the air and uncontactable, The Straits Times reported.

Chua said that his wife had sought help from the spouse of one of the Peace Carvin V detachment airmen to take their son to the hospital.

"That is the kind of help [we extend] to one another. There are quite a lot of families living together… and instead of being just a friend or a colleague, I know all of their spouses and families," he added.

When asked about the inspiration behind their son's name, Chua's wife shared that they were inspired by actor Tom Cruise's character in the 2022 Top Gun sequel.

"We feel that he's quite a good role model in the movie… in the future when Maverick asks why we chose this name for him, there's a role model he can aspire to," she explained.

"We also hope that he will end up becoming interested in the aviation industry, so that he will be like his father, who can show him the ropes."

ALSO READ: Road trips and an EDM concert: How this couple met and got married while serving in the RSAF

lim.kewei@asiaone.com