Lately, we love… airplane facts with Max

This time last year, I wrote about how easy it can be to get stuck in the doomscroll; especially during the long, dark days of winter. 

If you’re not careful, that thumb-tapping timeline can drag you right down with it; which is why I’m so drawn to content that brings lightness, creativity and humour to my feed. I follow accounts that showcase art and urban cityscapes, great design and big ideas; agencies producing interesting work, photography and of course, friends and family.

But lately, I’ve really loved learning and laughing to @airplanefactswithmax. It’s an Instagram, Twitch and YouTube account run by Max; a US-based aircraft mechanic who combines Lord of the Rings (and other fantasy) lore with his industry insights and airplane facts.

From the importance of thrust reversers and how they work, to showing us the contents of his toolbox, while he deftly crafts Lord of the Rings analogies along the way, Max’s videos make for a brilliant watch. 

One of the reasons I decided to write about his account for our Lately, we love… series, is that the content is truly unique. So much of what I see shared online these days is repurposed, paraphrased or run through an AI machine; a collage of photocopies and sameness.

By combining disparate elements like dry humour, his aircraft facts and fantasy, Max has created something completely different, in a style that’s very much his own. And while I’ve come to know the format, the content itself always feels unexpected.

Even if I don’t understand every Lord of the Rings reference he makes (his knowledge on the world of Tolkien seems limitless — almost academic), I’m always entertained by his videos. 

I think that social media at its best is when we use it to share our creativity with the world; the things we make; the people, places, food and art we love. And the stuff we find interesting, strange or funny.

Max’s account is one of my favourite follows and never fails to make me drop the pen, take a pause and have a laugh. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever seen, and nothing that AI, in all its power, could come up with. 

It’s why I think Max is pretty cool… as he would say: so, yep.