Jacksonville, AL – What has been a long time passion for Brian Harmon has naturally evolved into a career for this stay-at-home dad with a penchant for filming airplanes.
Harmon for as long as he can remember was always looking to the sky. He would go out of his way to include an airport or a helipad on a trip if he knew one was even remotely nearby much to the annoyance of his wife and kids.
If he lucked out and saw a plane parked then he’d take a picture of it. If he saw a helicopter about to take off her pull over and film it. These pictures and videos stayed in an album on his phone for years.
That was until one day his son suggested he put them on YouTube and see what happens. With nothing to lose he started posting what he had under the name Aviate Alabama. He started n September and by April he had gained over 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours to be monetized by YouTube.
Harmon wanted Aviate Alabama to showcase all the unique aircraft the state sees whether it’s the doomsday airplane flying over Jacksonville during nuclear training exercises in Global Thunder to submarine hunting P-8 Poseidons practice touch and gos at Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport..
Now Harmon has struck viral success by filming Michael Jordan’s Gulfstream jet landing in Talladega to Chase Elliot piloting a helicopter from a field at JSU. Harmon’s videos have even inspired a couple of news articles related to the jets he has filmed.
Pilots have approached Harmon at airports that recognize his work and ask if they can have the aircraft they’re piloting be posted to his channel to which he always eagerly does.
Harmon likes to keep the focus on the aircraft though and not on the celebrities or executives on board. This approach has endeared him to many airport managers that grant him unparalleled access to spotting locations not typically accessible to the public.
