It says on PilotPatrick's profile that he's a Captain? Is that wrong? I am new to this industry but I don't understand why there is so much negativity and push back against Pilot Instagrammers and Youtube pilots. I like Missionary Pilot. His videos are awesome! He's probably inspired alot of people to get into aviation and learn to fly. I don't see that as negative as the rest of the people in this thread with their negative spins on it.
Well it certainly wouldn't be true to say he is a current Captain. He was captain I believe for all of 8 months, no one worth his grain of salt would call that experienced. I think you're missing the point made by myself and others who have been in the game for a while. Many a career has been ruined over social media posts. In my current company I can count 10 pilots off the top of my head who have either been bypassed for command, summoned to disciplinary hearings or sacked because of what they thought was 'fun' but the Company and other viewers saw it different. We know that most of the videos or photos posted are by gopros or phones that are on mounting devices fixed to the aircraft. The layman doesn't know that, and some may get the wrong impression that instead of focusing on flying the aeroplane, you're worried about if the camera will get your best side.
Sure, it might get people into aviation, but a lot of these narcissistic pilot profiles are just that, 'look at me and my shirt that 4 sizes too small to show off how hot I am!'. You notice that these pilots have all their instagram photos on just one subject - themselves. They pretend its about aviation (wank) but really, it's about getting gratification from strangers. "Farming for likes" if you will. I've never seen content containing getting up at midnight to go to work on a 20 hour duty, being herded onto a ****ty old bus to the aircraft or the terminal. Coming home wrecked only to look after the kids because the wife has been doing that by herself for the past week while you've been away. The constant need for study, putting up with cantankerous check captains in the sim, who really should've given up the game years ago, but won't because the third wife took him to the cleaners and he's taking out his frustrations on those he checks. It's always the watches, the cars, the manicured eyebrows, unrealistic tans, the layovers at the hottest destinations (but heaven for fend you should mention the hotel is by the airport). It all paints an incredibly unrealistic picture of what the job entails.
There are some pilots out there however, who should become professional photographers for National Geographic. Their accounts are not about them (they don't even have selfies!), but the beauty that aviation can afford to present itself. I'd suggest looking up some of them, their content is second to none. They don't make money off work out product endorsements or sun tan lotion advertising, they do it because they love aviation, not themselves.
Fuel-Off
