In the credit where credit is due department, he did avoid built-up areas when he became concerned about fuel -- and when the engine quit, he quickly made a plan that fit his perceived circumstances, stuck to it and walked away from the final result.
Now in the what to do if you are short of fuel department, one can point out several poor decisions. It seems he landed somewhere in a low fuel state to get gas but there was none. I would be most reluctant to take off again without
precisely measuring my remaining fuel and having a
precise route worked out to a fuel stop that allowed me an hour's reserve.
In the event that my hour's reserve was about to be used, I would most certainly climb and begin working my route from one landable field to the next. Of course once high enough, you can usually head off in the general direction as I do in a glider until low enough that I want to have a good field in my pocket.
As a private owner, I would become highly cognisant of the fuel burn plus stick the tanks against the fuel gauge readings so that I would know what they were really telling me.
In a machine with a 1000nm range, mixture can have a large effect on consumption. You can't achieve book figures or often anything near that without optimal mixture. I would definitely log expected against actual fuel consumption for at least my first flights until I knew what I could expect.
One watch I had had a countdown timer. That was set to how much time was in the tanks of the C-172's I was flying.
Getting short of fuel can happen because of diversions, unexpected headwinds, or leaks. When you are down to that know last 30 minutes or so of fuel (depending on how well you know the a/c and the gauges), a precautionary landing gives you the opportunity to check out a field before committing yourself to it.
Then there's navigation. The pilot does seem able to get from A to B and manage a diversion. But the question arises about his ability to identify airspace, work effectively with ATC and adhere to a clearance. But we do have to give him credit for contacting ATC and being honest
Somehow I suspect whichever insurer that is persuaded to take him on will be insisting on a safety pilot with specified credentials
