Learned a lot from:
Nr1 recommendation for how to fly VFR into CAS in EU:
https://www.youtube.com/@EuroAviators/videos
Lots of EU VFR flight:
https://www.youtube.com/@Flugabenteuer/videos
Instruction and other cool stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/@FreePilotTraining/videos
Great US IFR GA flying:
https://www.youtube.com/@martinpauly
How to land:
https://www.youtube.com/@thejacobsonflare2961
Personally, I watch the German channel “Pilot Frank” a lot. Like him or not, he represents positive GA vibes, and reaches a lot of non-flying folks with his format. I’ve met him a few times in person, he’s just full of joy and a heart for everything that flies. Such a nice and open person, one would like to meet. Some of his videos might be a bit “below the belt” level, for example peeing in front of a camera to ‘test’ a urinal product during flight, but with it, he reaches a lot of people. (To be honest, I had to laugh as well…) It also shows, that he produce his videos purely for entertainment, even though he sometimes also talks about serious topics like flight safety.
On the other hand, I also love watching Martin Pauly. He’s a German too, but flies and lives in the US. Again, an extremely nice and down-to-earth person, which I had the chance to meet and fly with. His videos do not have that “Pilot Frank” excitement, but in return, he shows nice and calmly flights from A to B, which I like the most. Also, his knowledge and tricks puts a lot of additional value into his videos. No fancy editing, but that gives his videos a pleasant calm atmosphere.
In addition, I watch also some other aviation channels, like Stefan Durry, Aviation101, TakingOff, The Flying Reporter, TheTurbopropChannel, Flugabenteuer, and some smaller German-spoken aviation channels. The latter are often a bit too much UL focused though.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
Not sure if Matt Guthmiller has been mentioned, it’s not my kind of flying but I do watch him occasionally.I did watch him as well, but I’m absolutely not a fan of his attitude. I don’t know him in real life, so I won’t judge him as a person, but I absolutely dislike how he presents himself and flying in the videos. Some stuff is just show, other stuff seems pretty reckless.
We did the “making a living from YT” here.
It doesn’t actually work.
What we have in GA is a very tiny number of people who by spending half their life all over social media and pumping their YT channel 24/7 have accumulated tens of k or more followers and these people do make a bit of money. But probably making more by product placement and product promotion.
The other (vast majority) dream of getting rich but all that happens is that YT makes money (while collecting valuable user data which is then flogged to other media channels) while they make pennies. See the linked thread above. And the viewers suffer endless ads for totally brainless stuff like Hero Wars games.
As for aviation channels not yet mentioned here:
I was quite impressed with Stevie Triesenberg, a young woman with her airplane showing a quite professional performance.
https://www.youtube.com/@bayflight
Another guy I watch from time to time is Guido Warneke. He is an international ferry pilot.
https://www.youtube.com/@GuidoWarnecke
Not sure if Matt Guthmiller has been mentioned, it’s not my kind of flying but I do watch him occasionally.
https://www.youtube.com/@mattguthmiller
Recently I came across the series with Hoot Gibson about his exploits, which I found highly entertaining as well.
It’s on https://www.youtube.com/@Dronescapes but you might want to simply search for Hoot Gibson’s Hangar.
Apart and rather for light entertainment I like to watch ATC channels like anything by “Kennedy Steve” or sometimes VAS Aviation for a quick and dirty look at some recent incidents. ATC at Kennedy is quite interesting to listen to and Steve Abrahams was a legend in his own right. I had the pleasure to actually experience him on a few occasions while still working at SWR while on route fam flights to NY.
Maybe not flying but still very interesting stuff on the Space Program: Homemade documentaries by Jackson Tyler. Some of the best space footage I’ve ever seen.
I recently enjoy LewDix Aviation:
https://youtube.com/@LewDixAviation?si=2nzifylOuRm2qQ2D
And for some humor Just Plane Silly:
https://youtube.com/@JustPlaneSilly?si=jjBqiaswOV7HWkvG
His videos are sometimes boring and repetitive, but this recent one was very nice.
There was a time where I followed about 8 GA YT channels (pre covid, pre marriage). That was foolish.
These last months, I just followed Aviation101 and our friend Robbie.
Aviation101 was the first one I followed. My wife liked it too.
But his last videos are just advertisement and celebrity management. I got fed up and now I’m done.
I think what I like is watching a pilot gradually spread his wings. That gets me thrilled.
But all get to a point where they have done all the trips they could and have trouble making new content.
Anyway, I try not to watch screens in front of our kid and waste little time on YT.
That leaves me with Robbie’s channel and reading 
Not sure it counts, because there’s only 1 video: https://www.youtube.com/@GrahamPete
An 18 year old who just got his private takes his sister flying for the first time at sunset. Nothing happens really, but I found them both genuine and engaging. Good quality video, and they’re not trying to promote any products or a worldview.
It came up as the next video when watching a Speedjojo recommended by @gallois.
Edit: RobinJohansson17 was recommended on a similar thread: I don’t usually have much patience for youtube, but like these too.
I learned a lot from this channel:
https://youtube.com/@pplireurope
