Matt guthmiller videos make me nervous

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chevelle

Filing Flight Plan
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flyingfarmer
I've seen some of his videos lately and I cant help but feel he really pushes the safety envelope much further that I would. Leaving Alaska he had to be gone in the next 10 minutes fuel up till its spilling over gets to Russia it's a complete **** show. Leaves Russia rushed walk around rushed run up. I don't know, he has more experience than me internationally but cant help but feel he is going to be a statistic some day. Maybe it's just his youtube personality.
 
I think his videos are clickbait (titles are sensationalistic), and probably the danger you think he is in is contrived.
 
He certainly has a capable machine and knows how to use it. That having been said, remember WAY back to when you were his age. Were you more "adventure prone" than now???
 
It’s all about the editing. I believe he uses a professional editor to edit his videos and they are made in a way to get views.

His videos are NOT boring and safe is boring even if his flying around s 100% safe a little perceived danger makes things interesting. So many aviation videos are boring at least stuff isn’t quite as cheesy as the King VHS ground school tapes I watched in the early 1990s. The safety nazis need to lighten up on the YouTube comments are realize a lot of creative editing and “acting” or fabricated drama goes into these videos. He gets 100s of thousands of views on each video so he’s doing something right. I also for a young guy has some good flying experience.

I don’t take a cavalier attitude when it comes to flying and safety but I won’t criticize another pilot based on 20mins of edited footage of an 8 hour flying day.
 
I've been kind of thinking the same thing. A lot of it could be in the editing and I hope that's all most of it is. Editing aside though, the thing that makes me nervous is that it seems like he's always having some kind of mechanical issue with the plane. Nothing too major usually but always some little issue that hasn't been fixed yet.

That in and of itself isn't alarming. Flying around for a while with inop stuff isn't uncommon for older GA aircraft and the budgets which are commonly available to maintain them. But for someone doing last minute impulse 'because we were up here so why not...' hops across the Bearing Sea to Russia, I'd certainly be less nervous if it were being done in a plane that was maintained a little more in a 'hey Mr A&P here's a blank check now make sure nothing is inop on this plane ever...' kind of way rather than a 'oh crap that's not working, well I guess I'll have someone look at it when I get around to it' kind of way.
 
Doesn't seem all that bad to me. I would fly with him. He has a ton of hours in that airplane and I am sure he knows its capabilities and his own. Stuff breaks most of the time it is no big deal. Based on the survival equipment he had in the plane I don't think the trip to Russia was impromptu. As has been said editing probably has a lot to do with it.
 
chevelle said:
I've seen some of his videos lately and I cant help but feel he really pushes the safety envelope much further that I would. Leaving Alaska he had to be gone in the next 10 minutes fuel up till its spilling over gets to Russia it's a complete **** show. Leaves Russia rushed walk around rushed run up. I don't know, he has more experience than me internationally but cant help but feel he is going to be a statistic some day. Maybe it's just his youtube personality.
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I felt the same way when he hurried the departure to make the Russian airport before they close. I don't put that much faith in my ETA even for a local flight.
 
Yeah, the visit to Russia was over the top, rushed, and well-outside of my comfort threshold; however, that’s the only one that really stands out in my mind. I’ve watched many (most?) of his videos and am supremely jealous at the utility he gets out of his plane. I’ve owned my plane almost 5 years now and haven’t ventured out of the southeast other than to attend Airventure last year, yet there are SOOOO many places I want to see within 1-2 tanks of gas, that I’ll likely never make the trip for.
 
Banjo33 said:
Yeah, the visit to Russia was over the top, rushed, and well-outside of my comfort threshold; however, that’s the only one that really stands out in my mind. I’ve watched many (most?) of his videos and am supremely jealous at the utility he gets out of his plane. I’ve owned my plane almost 5 years now and haven’t ventured out of the southeast other than to attend Airventure last year, yet there are SOOOO many places I want to see within 1-2 tanks of gas, that I’ll likely never make the trip for.
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"Where there's a will, there's a way" comes to mind. You need a flying buddy that will push you just a little.
 
Yeah its probably in how it gets edited. I know he gets flak on here but at least flowers videos are not edited that way. I dont need edge of my seat I prefer josh or mike ellis with his comanche just flying.
 
Other than missing a little bit of information, it doesn't seem that bad to me. This is why I'm hesitant to fly internationally, even to places I know. Some procedures aren't well published and when you add local officials who want to push around the mighty American, it can just get nasty. Sad to say that.
 
DFH65 said:
Doesn't seem all that bad to me. I would fly with him. He has a ton of hours in that airplane and I am sure he knows its capabilities and his own.
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Without a doubt he is as proficient as one can get. But its been my experience that extremely high proficiency can sometimes bring a bit of risk exposure you wouldn't otherwise have. You get so good at doing some really challenging stuff that you begin to do that challenging stuff with rushed or very abbreviated planning because 'hey I got this and if something goes wrong I'll deal with it just like I have in the past because I know what I'm doing...'

I've seen it more than once. It usually works out fine right up until it doesn't. And once it doesn't we all read the NTSB report, connect the dots of the chain links which paint the pilot as being reckless and wonder how no one could have seen it coming.
 
I had been watching his videos for some time, but frankly they have become boring to me lately.
 
I share Banjo33's comments...I will probably (definitely) never fly to the places Matt does so I learn a lot about dealing with the things he confronts as well as I very much enjoy the travelogue!!!
 
Kenny Phillips said:
"Where there's a will, there's a way" comes to mind. You need a flying buddy that will push you just a little.
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Can’t argue with that. I retire in a year and am hopeful my schedule will be much more predictable after that and I can then better take advantage of my plane’s utility.
 
I am guessing he's a very good pilot. And he's flying a great plane. He's got way more experience than I will probably ever have, especially IMC and around the world. I think if his trip to Russia worked out it would have been something unique / comparable to Josh's Alaska series.

Here is the part he may not be able to overcome: When I watch Aviation101, Steveo, Trent Palmer, our own 310 Pilot, Just Plane Silly and Marty and most amazingly of all Mike Patey - the major vibe I get from all these pilots is: "Flying is amazing and damn if we're lucky just be doing whatever we can." With Matt's videos I don't get that vibe, the opposite actually. Hard to watch.
 
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