Marpat Aviation B model Huey down in WV.

[JohnH]

That phone call is so creepy! “ Who are you ? “ “ I am an individual”. Click . Weirdo.

[RyanShort1]

That phone call is so creepy! “ Who are you ? “ “ I am an individual”. Click . Weirdo.

Yeah, that kinda pushed me over the edge on him of late.

[ZRX61]

What happened at Oshkosh? I was aware of an incident with propwash and a Piper Cub, but I thought that was sorted...

The only thing I'm aware of regarding him & Osh was his non-arrival owing to him plowing a cornfield with someone else's aircraft by being a dumbass?

[Hooligan2]

The only thing I'm aware of regarding him & Osh was his non-arrival owing to him plowing a cornfield with someone else's aircraft by being a dumbass?

Probable cause: DG

Incident at Oshkosh I know of involved a Piper Cub behind when he did a runup in his Dak - various people caught hold of the Cub and kept an incident from becoming an accident. It's on t' dreaded Tube. Don't know anything about him being asked to leave though...

[k5083]

The Cub thing was in an earlier year. In 2021 he flew his DC-3 in, but the EAA dragged it out of showplane parking and told him to leave. He posted a short vid right after Oshkosh claiming that the guys towing his plane around the field had open beer cans, and adding some nonsense about EAA not having the right to drag his plane off a public airport, plus a general rant about EAA management and a promise to do a long vid blowing the lid off everything. I didn't think this would go well for him and was looking forward to the circus, but it seems like in a rare moment of prudence, he decided not to go through with it.

August

[Hooligan2]

Thanks August!

[OD/NG]

The Cub thing was in an earlier year. In 2021 he flew his DC-3 in, but the EAA dragged it out of showplane parking and told him to leave. He posted a short vid right after Oshkosh claiming that the guys towing his plane around the field had open beer cans, and adding some nonsense about EAA not having the right to drag his plane off a public airport, plus a general rant about EAA management and a promise to do a long vid blowing the lid off everything. I didn't think this would go well for him and was looking forward to the circus, but it seems like in a rare moment of prudence, he decided not to go through with it.

August

This is not the first time that he decided not to go through with a threat he made. If you remember, he uploaded a pretty scathing indictment against the TBM Avenger pilot that ditched off Florida. He published parts 1 and 2 of his rant and promised parts 3 and 4, but as far as I know parts 3 and 4 were never uploaded. Supposedly, parts 3 and 4 were going to "blow the lid off" of whatever incriminating evidence he managed to uncover about the incident. On one of his videos (not sure if it's still there), he said that someone (Valiant Air Command or someone associated with the Avenger) threatened legal action against him for his videos that he uploaded. I never saw parts 3 or 4 of that video series and he never carried through with his threat. Unfortunately, Gryder seems to always dig deeper and deeper holes and gets himself into trouble. At the most, he is completely alienating himself to most of the pilot/avation community (warbird or otherwise), at the very least, he may be opening himself up for legal action.

The problem I have is that he seems to be an advocate for aviation safety (very good thing!), but he doesn't practice what he preaches. I'm involved in warbird operations and safety and attend a lot of the nation-wide conferences at Oshkosh, NWOC, NATA, etc, but I've never seen him in person at any of these over the years. He seems to like to "air dirty laundry" for everything about avation (warbird or otherwise), but doesn't participate in any of those nation-wide conferences where he could affect real, positive change. He seems to like to be an "armchair critic" via his highly critical youtube videos, but doesn't do anything about it in real life. Because of that, he gives the perception, to me at least, that he likes to be inflammatory just to gain youtube views and/or become a social media hero. In my opinion, that is completely the wrong approach to take if he were truly concerned about aviation safety.

[p51]

He seems more interested in getting attention and YouTube hits than being responsible.

Sadly, this is the norm these days, not the exception.

[k5083]

To be fair, social media types like Browne, Perdue, and yes, Gryder may be doing much more to raise awareness of general aviation safety than those nation-wide conferences, which are mostly preaching to the converted and may be regarded with some justification as ineffective. Arguably, if you have Trevor Jacobs out there on YT, you need Dan Gryders. The only solution to a bad guy with a YT channel is a good guy with a YT channel, so to speak. Regardless, the YouTubers have their own view of how to create change, and I wouldn't disparage it. Whatever you think of Gryder's style, he's knowledgeable when he stays in his lane, and while everyone has multiple motivations, I feel like a genuine interest in reducing accidents is one of his. I think that's why he gets respect from the more straight-laced aviation YouTubers even though they must cringe at some of his content.

August

[RyanShort1]

To be fair, social media types like Browne, Perdue, and yes, Gryder may be doing much more to raise awareness of general aviation safety than those nation-wide conferences, which are mostly preaching to the converted and may be regarded with some justification as ineffective. Arguably, if you have Trevor Jacobs out there on YT, you need Dan Gryders. The only solution to a bad guy with a YT channel is a good guy with a YT channel, so to speak. Regardless, the YouTubers have their own view of how to create change, and I wouldn't disparage it. Whatever you think of Gryder's style, he's knowledgeable when he stays in his lane, and while everyone has multiple motivations, I feel like a genuine interest in reducing accidents is one of his. I think that's why he gets respect from the more straight-laced aviation YouTubers even though they must cringe at some of his content.

August

Well put. Even if you disagree with him on a conclusion, or on his tactics, it does drive the conversation.

[Spitty]

Not aircraft but an incident where there are two sides to the story..
https://m.roadkillcustoms.com/1300hp-mercury-comet-brake-failure-crash/

[JohnB]

August

Being a safety advocate doesn't excuse his excesses. Or lack of manners and respect, being a jerk or whatever one wants to call it.
The end does not justify the means, at least to most adults.

That's like excusing someone who calls Fire! in a crowded theater hoping the resultant stampede will make the case for more exits.
His comments about the fatalities in the church jet were way over the line whatever his intentions or whether he liked their theology.

So he cares about safety. Great.
He has an audience*. Fine.
Imagine the good he could do if everyone got behind him instead of sharply dividing the aviation community...presumably his target audience.
It wouldn't take a lot, just exercise some restraint.
Too much to ask?

Aircraft accidents are tragic (and public) enough, and the aviation community is small enough...histrionics are simply not necessarily.


*And to be fair, one should wonder how many of his viewers or subscribers share his stated concern about GA safety or just watch him for the theatrics?

[k5083]

John, that's a fair opinion. I'm going to say that opinions can differ on whether the end justifies the means, and you can't speak for "most adults." The end is saving lives. The means is making some people uncomfortable. A lot of public people lately are being rude jerks for less worthy reasons. Dan's theatrics are at least partly calculated. They are for shock value. He wants you to imagine the seconds or minutes of terror and agony when you've screwed up and there's now nothing you can do about it. He wants you to think about the people you'll take with you and will leave behind. He often goes farther than I would, and when he gets hung up on something gratuitous or indulgent like the culty church or the DB Cooper thing, I may lose interest. I don't get offended.

I'll put it this way. I'd buy Dan a beer for what he is doing, even if I might not care to hang around and drink it with him.

August

[Mark Allen M]

Interesting conversation. The man in question’s potential lack of content ethics is nothing new to YouTube channels. There’s very few “YouTube stars” that don’t hang up their ethics and manners at the door. Chickbait is the key to YouTube financial success. The more controversy and shock value in your content the more clicks and more interest generated. This can equal more advertising which generates more income. Nothing new or groundbreaking. Look no further than the YouTuber turned boxer Logan Paul.

YouTube and its channels provide video content daily. Unfortunately, YouTubers often gain their viewership through clickbait and shock value. With over 15 million subscribers, each of Paul’s uploads bring millions of viewers to YouTube. Viewers equate to revenue for YouTube, its advertisers and Paul himself. It’s no surprise that Dan seems to be following the same formula.

When’s the last time ethics, decency and truth were a priority generating volume.

[bdk]

When’s the last time ethics, decency and truth were a priority generating volume.

Seems to hold true with the 15 minute news cycle in the mainstream media. One of the reasons I haven't watched for years.