Air Wagner..... He’s baaaaackk.

That was a nice 45 degree bank through base and final followed by overshooting and coming back. And that was his “go out and make it a nice landing for Nancy”. I’ve seen students fly better patterns.
 
Let's go in the other direction. What about a YT pilot who is exemplary? I have watched most of Missionary Bush Pilot's videos and I think he's a great example for the aviation community.
 
Let's go in the other direction. What about a YT pilot who is exemplary? I have watched most of Missionary Bush Pilot's videos and I think he's a great example for the aviation community.
There are several. Guido Warneke is an international ferry pilot who has made professionalism and checklist use into an art form. In a recent one he encounters icing in a 182. While talking of the necessity of exiting icing conditions ASAP, the relaxed way he handles it is beautiful.

but "good YouTube pilots" really needs its own thread.
 
I came across his videos by accident. Nice aircraft, superb technique.
 
I came across his videos by accident. Nice aircraft, superb technique.

So many people on this thread hate this guy and think he's an accident waiting to happen. I've watched 5 or so of his videos. He's really not that bad at all IMHO and don't know what all the fuss is about.
 
So many people on this thread hate this guy and think he's an accident waiting to happen. I've watched 5 or so of his videos. He's really not that bad at all IMHO and don't know what all the fuss is about.

As mentioned before, he removes the worst stuff. Just keep watching. The really questionable stuff is usually down within a day or two. It took him a while to realize people were auto-downloading them before he yanked them.
 
Let's go in the other direction. What about a YT pilot who is exemplary? I have watched most of Missionary Bush Pilot's videos and I think he's a great example for the aviation community.

Martin Pauly. Stefan Drury from Australia. Wolficorn. Matt Guthmillers old videos.
 
So many people on this thread hate this guy and think he's an accident waiting to happen. I've watched 5 or so of his videos. He's really not that bad at all IMHO and don't know what all the fuss is about.
As mentioned before, he removes the worst stuff. Just keep watching. The really questionable stuff is usually down within a day or two. It took him a while to realize people were auto-downloading them before he yanked them.
Besides, hasn't unusual attitudes on the final approach segment always been considered good technique?

Most of his latest flights have been VFR. . I really never had a huge issue with them and don't even watch them anymore. His IFR is getting better...the equipment helps...until, I guess, the next time deviates because he faces something different that what he is used to 90% of the time and (a) doesn't understand and blames the controller, (b) doesn't know how to do it properly, or (c) simply doesn't notice the deviation while pointing to the indication because he is too busy explaining its function to the audience.

That's my summary of what I've seen in his bad videos. They are not all bad. And we all make mistakes. The problem is blaming others for them and when agreeing it's his, insisting it was ok.
 
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He's really not that bad at all

He's better than bad. He is so not-bad-at-all that he has his own category of flight conditions - JFR - Jerry Flight Rules.

  • JFR allows us to do things like save an approach by banking 60* to come back to the localizer while in a > 1000 fpm descent.
  • JFR permits flight through MDA to something Jerry himself invented - Secondary Minimums.
  • JFR stipulates if a pilot goes missed because of low ceilings and visibility and the controller issues instructions the pilot does not like, the pilot can cancel IFR and proceed with JFR. And then commence a high-banked-turn-and-rapid-descent back to the airport through patches of actual IMC to attempt another approach and landing.
  • Training for the JFR rating involves almost stalling a twin because you aren't paying attention while climbing at ~2000 fpm with the automation on.
  • While flying under JFR, sterile cockpit rules do not apply. The pilot flying is permitted to jabber at the YouTube cameras during taxi, takeoff roll, departure, approach and landing. While under JFR, the pilot should also bicker constantly with the wife-passenger during all critical phases of flight.

If you follow his YouTube channel and train properly, you too can fly JFR.

Up next - How to file MFR and fly under any bridge in the continental US.
 
So many people on this thread hate this guy and think he's an accident waiting to happen. I've watched 5 or so of his videos. He's really not that bad at all IMHO and don't know what all the fuss is about.
I was talking about Werneke when I mentioned superb technique. But I have defended Jerry before.

Missionary Bush Pilot is a professional pilot flying 135 or 121 in Papua New Guinea. I expect more from a pro pilot than a guy who flies as a hobby. Should we hobby pilots strive to make our skills like the pros? Of course. I think for a hobby pilot Jerry is okay. Does he make mistakes? Sure, but probably fewer than I do.

It's a great testament to aircraft manufacturers, avionics manufacturers and ATC that a hobby pilot can drive a very complicated machine hundreds of miles and do it time after time.
 
So many people on this thread hate this guy and think he's an accident waiting to happen. I've watched 5 or so of his videos. He's really not that bad at all IMHO and don't know what all the fuss is about.

You have to sit through hours of watching paint dry before you see the dumpster fires (I don't know how other people do it).

Most recent dumpster fire I know of was when he was given a published hold and flew it "pretty darn close" to correctly (his words) by flying left turns instead of right turns on a radial orthogonal to the one he was supposed to hold on, while complaining the "hold as published" instruction from ATC was overly difficult and confusing.
 
You have to sit through hours of watching paint dry before you see the dumpster fires (I don't know how other people do it).

Most recent dumpster fire I know of was when he was given a published hold and flew it "pretty darn close" to correctly (his words) by flying left turns instead of right turns on a radial orthogonal to the one he was supposed to hold on, while complaining the "hold as published" instruction from ATC was overly difficult and confusing.
There's a later one which was interesting. Remember that his typical flight to KOAK involves being sent to one of the fixes outside the FAF on the approach to 28R. In this one he gets the ubiquitous vectors to intercept the FAC on an approach to 7. 99% of us would follow the vectors and intercept. That's too much workload (he says so in response to a comment; that's how little it takes for the "unusual" to throw him) so he punches in direct to the FAF. Fortunately, he hadn't really been flying the vectors anyway, so he was close enough for ATC not to care and for his autopilot to couple anyway, proving that sometimes two wrongs do make a right.
 
New one just went up where he accepts a DP at KLLR with a 300-1 min, despite saying to the camera that he can’t see the end of the runway. He then flies the DP poorly, initiating a left turn well before he should. Later, he proceeds to tell NorCal visibility was 1/4 mile when he took off, then eventually gets in an argument (mostly redacted) with ATC about correct use of his call sign. You can’t make this stuff up!
 
New one just went up where he accepts a DP at KLLR with a 300-1 min, despite saying to the camera that he can’t see the end of the runway. He then flies the DP poorly, initiating a left turn well before he should. Later, he proceeds to tell NorCal visibility was 1/4 mile when he took off, then eventually gets in an argument (mostly redacted) with ATC about correct use of his call sign. You can’t make this stuff up!

You realize that Part 91 flights can take a departure down to 0/0, right?
 
Whilst flying JFR, none of this applies anyway. Unstable approach full deflection off the LOC? Meh. Holding instructions? Meh. Fly it the way YOU want to fly it. Can't see the runway environment after MDA/DH? That's what secondary minimums are for! Went missed and don't feel like flying the whole missed procedure? Ha! Cancel IFR and do a steep turn/descent to land through patchy IMC! Departing 0/0 is encouraged!

These are all allowed under JFR. Sounds like you all need a flight review....
 
Visibility prior to takeoff was reported greater than 10 miles (obviously either the sensor is pointed the wrong direction or it was not a current report). So let’s assume the reported visibility makes that a non-factor (specious, and a gray area that I would definitely not post a video of my admission of such to the FAA).

However, the AWOS-AV doesn’t report ceiling. So with a published minimum for the DP, who bears responsibility for determining ceiling if an official report doesn’t exist? This was obviously a VV-limited operation. No way was it a 300’ ceiling. Is the pilot to make a determination for ceiling but let the AWOS take the visibility?
 
Also, get a load of the errant turn out and the momentary loss of situational awareness: “actually it’s a right turn, but we’re gonna…”

Keep turning left. And actually it’s straight out to EBYIB, then a left to VECIM. That leg had clearly not sequenced yet.

FR24 has a really good overview of that little whoopsie.
 
Oops
 

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"Left turn to 294"
"Actually it's a right turn"
Buzzzzzz! Both wrong. It's runway heading. What a dumb bass.
 
Ya, I was trying to figure out where he got the “left to 294,” but that is approximately runway heading. Regardless, he was already in the turn (and a low one at that - not even 400’ off the runway). A left to 294 would be a 360° turn.

So again, loss of situational awareness.
 
Oh the jokes tho!!! I'm stealing those....

"The towels were so nice, we could barely get our suitcases closed they were so plush!!"
"The other place was so dingy...... they stole OUR towels!!"

Oh! Hey! Ya'll have been a great audience.... don't forget to tip your waitress.
 
Also JFR promotes taxiing in 0/0 conditions WHILE pulling up a departure procedure and while reading a DP, programming the navigator, talking to passengers about wildlife (deer, coyotes, jackrabbits, jackalopes....).... All in low-viz...
 
Ya, I was trying to figure out where he got the “left to 294,” but that is approximately runway heading. Regardless, he was already in the turn (and a low one at that - not even 400’ off the runway). A left to 294 would be a 360° turn.

So again, loss of situational awareness.

The 294° magnetic is the calculation of the GPS of the track to the first waypoint, the runway heading is 293°, the 1° difference likely caused by a different magnetic variation calculation and rounding error. So the initial track is most likely identical to runway heading.

In that moment Jerry was unable to use a compass rose of a heading indicator to turn to the correct heading, unable to fly a HSI CDI, unable to realize from the DP chart that he was supposed to fly runway heading, and unable to see the correct course on any of his moving maps. So many simultaneously fails. Rather than "loss of SA", I'd call it a loss of basic pilot skills.
 
So many classic lines -

"We're pushin' the nose down...."
"So let's go down and GET IT!"
"If you need to turn us in tight, I can handle that."
*** Corrects already busy controller regarding use of his callsign when requesting RNAV vs ILS thus further tying up a busy busy frequency ***
"I briefed the approach plate earlier... off camera... " Suuuuuuuuuuuure
"I've been called a minute-man before..." *** chit-chatting with wife during critical phases of flight as usual... extra credit for the innuendo..... ***

Oh this was a classic one. 10/10 would recommend! This one gives 1 WINGS credit toward your JFR flight review for watching.
 
"Maintain present speed until the final approach fix"
*Speeds up 30 knots*

Yeah, I noticed that, too. Being a competent, professional pilot is just not in his wheelhouse. He wants to show how loose, how familiar and relaxed he can be. “Checkin’ on,” I’m so cool.

Hazardous attitudes abound.
 
Also JFR promotes taxiing in 0/0 conditions WHILE pulling up a departure procedure and while reading a DP, programming the navigator, talking to passengers about wildlife (deer, coyotes, jackrabbits, jackalopes....).... All in low-viz...
Wow…I assume the vis increased rapidly before takeoff? Or was his reported 1/4 mile vis a lie, too?
 
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