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Timbeck2

Timbeck2

Final Approach
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Timbeck2
I used to like watching the YouTubers like Steveo, Flight Chops, Matt Guttmuiller and a couple others I can't remember. However, I've noticed that what used to be interesting content has turned into a commercial. For example, Matt's last three videos have him hawking clothes by Ministry of Supply.

~ random thoughts by Tim Handy
 
I agree though who could blame them? I still watch a Steveo one time to time and enjoy Corporate Pilot Life. Never have been a fan of Flight Chops.
 
I think what happened is that a lot of these guys started with a hobby for reasons ranging from self-critique to artistic expression to sharing experience. As the audience grew, it became a more "thing" where one starts playing to the audience and the commercialization bug starts biting. You start "having to" get a video up there regularly. This is hard work. I did a 1.5 hour flight with two cameras and played with some editing software to pull a 6 minute crosswind takeoff and landing segment, with audio. Nothing like the job those guys are doing (I don't even pretend to). That simple task took 4 hours of editing to get something halfway presentable.

My favorite was when Niko was talking about hiring someone to do the editing and production.
 
Youtube changed their monetization rules about a year and a half ago. Ever since then most independent channels seem to have gone "sponsored" with "ads" thrown in to the video content.

It sucks because part of what made youtube so great, imo, was the ability to make coin as an independent creator; even a fledgling. Now you need 1,000 subscribers, an average of 4,000 hours of content watched per year just to be eligible to be monetized and god forbid you say anything even remotely political or controversial on the video as that will result in demonetization of that video at the very least and possibly the entire channel.
 
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I thought I'd been keeping up with Matt's content but I don't recall him shilling for anyone so perhaps his stuff hasn't been showing up in my feed for some reason. Either way, the guy is making content which is work. I can't fault anyone for wanting to make a buck on their own work.

Question for the group: Do content creators make less if you click skip ad?
 
The only flying videos I've ever enjoyed were ones where the pilot was doing things of little sense and questionable legality. And I agree with Tieback2. That polish is the best I've ever seen ever. Never saw a shine like that one anything in my whole life.
 
steingar said:
The only flying videos I've ever enjoyed were ones where the pilot was doing things of little sense and questionable legality. And I agree with Tieback2. That polish is the best I've ever seen ever. Never saw a shine like that one anything in my whole life.
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So you like Jerry W?
 
SkyDog58 said:
Odd. I find your videos much better than the other guys mentioned.
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Wow. That's very kind of you. I really appreciate the compliment of being rated in the same league as those guys. Subjective as it may be, I like their stuff and am flattered.

steingar said:
That polish is the best I've ever seen ever. Never saw a shine like that one anything in my whole life.
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Thanks!!
 
A good many of the you tube channels I follow are starting to run ads. Drives me crazy, I don’t want ads. If I want ads I’ll go back to tv.

I enjoy doing my videos, I can review my flights and it’s nice to look back at our travels. Edit time is getting longer and that’s a PITA but I think it’s worth it.
 
I like making videos and I like making people laugh.
I hate the editing part. I dislike the rat race part that you get sucked into but you start to think "If this keeps growing, maybe it will bring in a little money"

Then you have this part that is illogical sort of like buying a lottery ticket. You know you aren't going to win but you play the mental game of what if.
It think it would be great to be able to do it as a full time gig. Realistically that won't happen but you start making a few bucks and the "what if" gets more powerful.

I spoke to Mr. Aviation at a shoot for in the hangar and he just graduated college with a degree in Computer Science.
I asked where he thought he was going to start looking to work and he said "I don't need the degree anymore".

I called him a bad word and we laughed but I cried on the inside.
 
GMascelli said:
A good many of the you tube channels I follow are starting to run ads. Drives me crazy, I don’t want ads. If I want ads I’ll go back to tv.
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There's a show on TV that is nothing but a guy flying a bonanza around to cool places? And there's also a show that is about a guy getting a IFR rating? And another that's about that same guy building a kit plane? What channel is that? Because I don't think our dish network package includes it.
 
I get to work a bit on the social media influencer side of the world a bit and know a few that are Youtube creators...while a lot do it for fun, to truly make a living at it often takes years of development and most put in way more hours than a typical job to become an "overnight success". It is still a cap ton of work to execute, just a bit different than trading hours for dollars that most do for money.

Your odds of being a success in monetizing social media to windfall level are similar to a professional athlete or pro poker player. It can be done, but not as simple as they make it seem anymore.

Now with that, I am aYoutube junkie more than broadcast TV and love the diversity of content.
 
I went from having no subscribers and like 1 video with more than 100 views to all of the sudden these two rather obscure videos (on a crosswind landing, the other me doing touch and go's) hitting 8k views in a few months. Not really sure why, and I don't know much about how YT works.

(I just looked again. I've got 30-some odd videos. One recent one has 4 views. Then there are two boring ones with 8,000 each. What gives?)
 
mryan75 said:
I went from having no subscribers and like 1 video with more than 100 views to all of the sudden these two rather obscure videos (on a crosswind landing, the other me doing touch and go's) hitting 8k views in a few months. Not really sure why, and I don't know much about how YT works.

(I just looked again. I've got 30-some odd videos. One recent one has 4 views. Then there are two boring ones with 8,000 each. What gives?)
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What's your channel?
FWIW I have had this same conversation with everyone I know that makes videos.
"I make a lame one and it takes off. Then I make one I am proud of and it flat lines"
 
Timbeck2 said:
I used to like watching the YouTubers like Steveo, Flight Chops, Matt Guttmuiller and a couple others I can't remember
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I've noticed the same. Steveo had a good one recently, but in general they do feel a little less genuine and a little more corporate. I guess that's what happens when you go from a small channel sharing your passion and start becoming an "influencer" ...

But I guess that's just mankind, and mankind is hard to understand
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Matt G's are the hardest to watch, especially over the past half year or so. He has this awesome accomplishment (youngest solo around the world in a Bo). But in the majority of videos givers off this upper class vibe which does not work for me. I think he means well trying to say that flying allows you to do things you couldn't otherwise. Yet it comes across as "I'm better than you and fly so I will go expensive places and eat gobs of food." I think there was an episode where he tried to justify flying from his home in SD to the East Coast for a meeting and then pick up a package on the way home. Once again, it comes off as more of a 'Look what I can do' vs 'Wow flying is amazing'. He is not humble.

I still like Steveo's videos. He didn't take the standard route of Military or College aviation, instead going enlisted in the CG and then becoming a pilot. Plus he flys cool planes and the Bahama's shallow water scenery never gets old. I still think his potential is to have more "Miss Mindy's" (once in a while). But to also have more guests like Veterans and flights that make a difference, he can pull it off. He is humble.

I like the quality of Flight Chops productions and once again, he is humble and learning and sharing.

Aviation101 is totally into flying and does a good job and I think a lot of new pilots identify with him.

I really enjoyed FunForLouis and them taking the 210 around the world. They never came off as snobbish.

I like @Radar Contact's 310 pilot videos because its like you are learning right along with him. They fly a Twin so its unique amongst the others. Jamie being ATC makes it another level cooler. They aren't snobbish and seem pretty humble about the whole Journey.

The bigger overall problem is what can they all do that will be new and unique? I think just about everyone has went to S&F, Osh, Bahamas, etc.

I wish sometimes @Katamarino had a channel...but then again his blog style write ups are perfect. I find myself envying his trips more than anyone else's.

@SixPapaCharlie makes me laugh, please don't stop or change too much :)
 
I've been making a more concerted effort the past year with my YT channel. (shameless plug: https://www.youtube.com/c/Wolficorntv) I've tried to better understand how YT promotes videos, but it's still a pretty big mystery. Some of my preferred videos don't get much traction whereas others that get more views leave me scratching my head, LOL. I think the key is to have a scantily clad girl on the thumbnail. That said, I like making them because it combines two passions...filmmaking and flying. The hard part is finding the time. I'm an editor for a living so sometimes the last thing I want to do in my spare time is edit some more.

As far as the the main YT guys, I hear ya on Matt's vids. Some are entertaining but I cringe everytime he hawks that damn clothing. Plus how does can that kid afford to fly that pimped out Bo all over the place? I like Nikoswings b/c he flies in some challenging weather sometimes and I like to follow along with his decision-making. Aviation101 can have some serious cheese but I watch them and he's certainly found a nice little niche. Steveo seems to be the OG aviation You Tuber and while the videos can be kinda repetitive, he's also got a nice little formula. TrentPalmer has great content plus his production quality is always good. There are tons of others, obviously and I subscribe to many...including fellow POA-er and Grumman Youtuber (with a much higher sub-count) @SixPapaCharlie. Funny sh*t. In the end, I love that YT provides many niches inside an already small niche...general aviation youtube videos. Everybody has a different perspective...at least the more successful ones. And that's a good thing.
 
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mr_happyland said:
Plus how does can that kid afford to fly that pimped out Bo all over the place?
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The same way all of these "youngest to fly round the world" people do it (apart from Barrington Irving, I think; he was pretty impressive) - mummy and daddy pay!

The challenge in a round the world flight is not the flying. It's the bureacracy/paperwork, and the funding. If you have a company doing all the clearances and logistics, and somebosy else paying for it, it's really not hard.
 
Overall, I like the aviation Youtubers... Have learned a lot from their experiences, the audio (ATC interaction) and I believe it helps promote General Aviation -- a lot, especially among the younger crowd who are figuring out what kind of plane and mission (Trent Palmer vs the Bonanza around the world guy for ex.). Since 9-11 when fences went up around the airports, airports have become less approachable, more mysterious to the public. If these guys make money in the process which promotes more videos, then great.
 
If you want to make a great living on YT with minimal effort just video your self doing stupid stunts and pranks. You have all these great channels with quality content and editing with a few hundred thousand subscribers, or car reviewers with 1-2 million subscribers. All it takes is a video of a swimming pool filled with foam and a bicycle to get 100,000,000 subscribers.
 
Sinistar said:
Matt G's are the hardest to watch, especially over the past half year or so. He has this awesome accomplishment (youngest solo around the world in a Bo). But in the majority of videos givers off this upper class vibe which does not work for me. I think he means well trying to say that flying allows you to do things you couldn't otherwise. Yet it comes across as "I'm better than you and fly so I will go expensive places and eat gobs of food." I think there was an episode where he tried to justify flying from his home in SD to the East Coast for a meeting and then pick up a package on the way home. Once again, it comes off as more of a 'Look what I can do' vs 'Wow flying is amazing'. He is not humble.

I still like Steveo's videos. He didn't take the standard route of Military or College aviation, instead going enlisted in the CG and then becoming a pilot. Plus he flys cool planes and the Bahama's shallow water scenery never gets old. I still think his potential is to have more "Miss Mindy's" (once in a while). But to also have more guests like Veterans and flights that make a difference, he can pull it off. He is humble.

I like the quality of Flight Chops productions and once again, he is humble and learning and sharing.

Aviation101 is totally into flying and does a good job and I think a lot of new pilots identify with him.

I really enjoyed FunForLouis and them taking the 210 around the world. They never came off as snobbish.

I like @Radar Contact's 310 pilot videos because its like you are learning right along with him. They fly a Twin so its unique amongst the others. Jamie being ATC makes it another level cooler. They aren't snobbish and seem pretty humble about the whole Journey.

The bigger overall problem is what can they all do that will be new and unique? I think just about everyone has went to S&F, Osh, Bahamas, etc.

I wish sometimes @Katamarino had a channel...but then again his blog style write ups are perfect. I find myself envying his trips more than anyone else's.

@SixPapaCharlie makes me laugh, please don't stop or change too much :)
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One thing I've always wondered about these guys is how they fund this activity. Every time I click on Matt's or JP's or Flight Chop's videos, they are in a different part of the world flying around for recreation. Are they making so much money from youtube that it pays for all the flying, hotels and travel? Do they have a real job outside of this? For the lay person, the biggest challenge in flying is the cost and time. It would be useful if these guys can provide a perspective on this with respect to their personal lives. When I fly with friends, I make it a point to explain what it costs, which nearly always comes out pretty close to that of driving (if you go by the IRS mileage rate). That way I am not presenting a false impression that I am rich, or that it is cheap to fly.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Nearly 1k people have done a low pass with you at Gastons though:
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Well, I did get over like 3k views for Hitler and Vx. I have like 8 subscribers. I wonder who, since I've only posted like 5 vids, and 4 of them are over 10 years old.
 
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EdFred said:
Well, I did get over like 3k views for Hitler and Vx. I have like 8 subscribers. I wonder who, since I've only posted like 5 vids, and 4 of them are over 10 years old.
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But Hitler and Vx was classic.
 
There are some Youtube videos I've watched and enjoyed. There area bunch (a WHOLE bunch) that I killed a minute or two in, because the "social media star" just prattles on incessantly, apparently desperate for something -- anything -- to stretch what should be a 2-minute video out to fill 10 or 15 minutes. There's very little I watch any more, unless I'm specifically looking for something. I don't subscribe to or "follow" or whatever anyone or anything.

And get off my lawn.
 
DaleB said:
There are some Youtube videos I've watched and enjoyed. There area bunch (a WHOLE bunch) that I killed a minute or two in, because the "social media star" just prattles on incessantly, apparently desperate for something -- anything -- to stretch what should be a 2-minute video out to fill 10 or 15 minutes. There's very little I watch any more, unless I'm specifically looking for something. I don't subscribe to or "follow" or whatever anyone or anything.

And get off my lawn.
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I'm with you there. "Low approach into XXX" Video length: 32 minutes. EFF That!
 
sarangan said:
One thing I've always wondered about these guys is how they fund this activity. Every time I click on Matt's or JP's or Flight Chop's videos, they are in a different part of the world flying around for recreation. Are they making so much money from youtube that it pays for all the flying, hotels and travel? Do they have a real job outside of this? For the lay person, the biggest challenge in flying is the cost and time. It would be useful if these guys can provide a perspective on this with respect to their personal lives. When I fly with friends, I make it a point to explain what it costs, which nearly always comes out pretty close to that of driving (if you go by the IRS mileage rate). That way I am not presenting a false impression that I am rich, or that it is cheap to fly.
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That is the taboo topic du jour. But for those of us who front our own rides, it's self-evident. Socioeconomics, just like politics and religion, can be polarizing, especially considering today's GINI index. They'd be alienating a lot of viewership by removing the veil. Remember, in the end, this is mostly escapism for the peanut gallery due to the very lack of financial means, or free time (or for most Americans, BOTH) to do what these "creators" do or have the time to do.

Not all are in that boat of course, but you generally can't make this point without some upper middle class white knight showing up (stand by.....) and throw a whataboutism fallacy to try to call it 'even', which is what corporate media (YT included) attempts to do in order to maximize profits even in the face of GINI facts. Me, I'm generally agnostic about these shticks. I contribute/participate to GA in whatever way I can, but again I'm agnostic about the whole YT shtick. I'm not afraid to poke at the socioeconomics though, but I won't here cuz it's just like politics. I leave those musings on said topic for reddit :D
 
I think it's great that there are people who are able to make their YouTube channels work as revenue generators for them. That said, I wonder about the long term viability. YouTube is probably going to continue to make it so that only the top guys can make any money and minimize the profits of the content makers. The high rollers still seem to make in the 6 figures pretty well, but I wonder how long that'll last. It's definitely less certain and would be more stressful for me than I feel like dealing with. It's good that people can manage to make themselves known without getting on a network, maybe eventually it'll get them into a network career.

Still, one piece of advice I was given that I thought was always good was to make sure you have something practical as a backup plan if whatever you're doing doesn't work out.
 
mr_happyland said:
I've been making a more concerted effort the past year with my YT channel. (shameless plug: https://www.youtube.com/c/Wolficorntv) I've tried to better understand how YT promotes videos, but it's still a pretty big mystery. Some of my preferred videos don't get much traction whereas others that get more views leave me scratching my head, LOL. I think the key is to have a scantily clad girl on the thumbnail. That said, I like making them because it combines two passions...filmmaking and flying. The hard part is finding the time. I'm an editor for a living so sometimes the last thing I want to do in my spare time is edit some more.

As far as the the main YT guys, I hear ya on Matt's vids. Some are entertaining but I cringe everytime he hawks that damn clothing. Plus how does can that kid afford to fly that pimped out Bo all over the place? I like Nikoswings b/c he flies in some challenging weather sometimes and I like to follow along with his decision-making. Aviation101 can have some serious cheese but I watch them and he's certainly found a nice little niche. Steveo seems to be the OG aviation You Tuber and while the videos can be kinda repetitive, he's also got a nice little formula. TrentPalmer has great content plus his production quality is always good. There are tons of others, obviously and I subscribe to many...including fellow POA-er and Grumman Youtuber (with a much higher sub-count) @SixPapaCharlie. Funny sh*t. In the end, I love that YT provides many niches inside an already small niche...general aviation youtube videos. Everybody has a different perspective...at least the more successful ones. And that's a good thing.
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You're Wolficorn??? I love your videos! I stumbled across your channel when I was thinking about getting a Tiger, and I have enjoyed every one of your videos.

I don't mind Matt G dropping a plug in for something briefly in his channel, but the last video he put out about ADS-B vs XM was a 24 min commercial for XM. I thought that was annoying.
 
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