People: The new faces of aviation

Seven of aviation’s most influential content creators participated in an AOPA panel at EAA’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The panelists—Steve Thorne, Trent Palmer, JP Schulze, Josh Flowers, Jason Miller, Matt Guthmiller, and Chris Palmer—shared their secrets to creating outrageous online videos, while keeping safety at the forefront.

Most of the group make a living off the flying videos on their YouTube channels, but they all agreed that it’s the ability to inspire others that keeps the cameras rolling. Thorne, best known as “Flight Chops” for his trademark facial hair, never intended to become a YouTube star. He said that it’s like a treadmill to stay relevant in the social media world, but the ability to inspire other pilots is a huge driving force behind his videos, which collectively have millions of views.

Safety was a big topic of discussion, especially in the age of “Kodak courage.” Trent Palmer, one of the most recognized backcountry pilots, said he’s seen people do some crazy things just because the camera is on. As a filmmaker, Palmer said it’s easy to get caught up in the cinematography of it all, but flying always needs to be the number-one priority.

Seasoned pilot and innovator Schulze echoed Palmer’s statements by saying it’s a fundamental human desire to want to be a crowd pleaser, but “flying is dangerous and the consequences are severe.”

Flowers, known by his moniker “Mr. Aviation 101,” said viewers need to remember a lot of the process can be staged. Flowers confessed he will often shoot a preflight, then go back and do the “real” preflight off camera.

Miller, host of The Finer Points aviation podcast, said having a good relationship with the local FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) works to your advantage and that “you can’t let it hang over your head” while you’re shooting.

The group agreed that general aviation flying in the United States is unlike anywhere else in the world and that U.S. pilots are lucky to have the freedoms they do. Ultimately, the FAA isn’t actively looking online to catch pilots violating the regulations, they agreed.

Thorne said he is proud his videos can serve as a training tool for those who may find themselves in adverse situations while describing a mishap he had when flying VFR into IMC. He confessed that he got in over his head, but glad he could share the experience with his followers in hopes that they take it as a lesson learned. “For the hundreds that say I’m an idiot, there are thousands more that thank me for it,” he said.

Should pilots find themselves in sticky situations, Guthmiller, a 24-year-old record-setting aviator, says he never hesitates to call AOPA’s Legal Services.

Renowned Alaska CFI Chris Palmer said pilots should never overlook the opportunities and experiences that exist in their own backyard. In what he referred to as “vanilla flying,” Palmer said his viewers appreciate relatability and that some of his most memorable flights have been in his Cessna 172.

Flowers agreed, saying, “The end-all, be-all is to inspire as many people as possible. We introduce people to this whole new world that many don’t know about.”

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