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Pilot and content creator Todd Gilles (@SnowbirdtheMooney) has built a growing online audience by combining flying adventures with humor and storytelling, helping introduce general aviation to a new generation of viewers. We caught up with Todd to talk about his pilot journey, his passion for the Mooney platform, and his experience flying behind Hartzell’s carbon fiber Outlaw propeller.

Tell us about your background. How did you get into flying?

I’m a commercial and instrument-rated Mooney pilot based at Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. Aviation has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, since my dad flew when I was young and we had airplanes growing up. My sister’s name is actually Piper, which probably tells you what kind of airplanes he liked (laughs). 

Even with that background, I didn’t seriously pursue flying until COVID hit. While furloughed from work, I started noticing airplanes overhead during “quarantine walks” and realized Deer Valley was only five minutes from our house. Since the flight schools were still open, I finally decided to give it a shot. I quickly fell in love with flying, earned my PPL in seven weeks, continued through my instrument rating, bought my 1975 Mooney M20C, and started sharing the journey online, which eventually grew into an amazing aviation community following along with the adventures.

Something cool that many may not realize is that you were an elite-level Ice Dancer for Team USA. How do you think your training and mindset as an athlete have translated to your flying today?

Oh, it directly translates. One of the biggest things I learned as an elite-level athlete was how to take information and apply it efficiently, and that mindset helped me tremendously while learning to fly. The work ethic, discipline, and constant pursuit of improvement from skating carried over into aviation almost perfectly. Even checkrides felt familiar because they reminded me of competing in big arenas with cameras on you. There’s that same feeling of preparation meeting performance. Aviation and skating both humble you in a good way because you never truly stop learning.

What first drew you to the Mooney brand specifically, and what has kept you loyal to the platform?

The speeeeeed! “We love to fly. Fast.” is one of the old Mooney slogans, and honestly, it’s true. I learned in Cessna 172s, so the idea of cruising 40–50 knots faster on basically the same fuel burn was incredibly appealing to me.

I also love how you really wear a Mooney like a sports car. The pushrod controls make them feel incredibly responsive and connected compared to a lot of other airplanes. For my mission, it ended up being the perfect airplane too, since my family lives in Colorado and I use the airplane to travel back and forth as well as fly myself to skating competitions. It’s efficient, fast, and still just really fun to fly.

Last year, you upgraded from a Hartzell 3-blade aluminum prop to the newly released Hartzell 2-blade carbon fiber “Outlaw” propeller. What differences have you noticed about the performance, look, and feel of your aircraft since making the switch?

The first thing I noticed about the Outlaw propeller was the weight savings on the nose. Losing about 30 pounds up front made the airplane noticeably lighter on rotation and more responsive immediately. I was honestly worried about giving up climb performance going from a 3-blade to a 2-blade, but I really haven’t noticed any downside there at all.

I even made a YouTube video using my friend’s Mooney M20C as a “control” airplane, and we found I gained roughly 2–5 knots in cruise while also slightly improving climb performance. The smoothness was another huge difference. My old prop was already dynamically balanced well, but the Outlaw took it to another level, especially on long cross-country flights. And visually, it completely changed the personality of the airplane. I loved the look of my old 3-blade, but the carbon fiber Outlaw made the airplane look much more modern and aggressive on the ramp.

With experience flying behind both aluminum and carbon fiber props from Hartzell, what are some of the advantages of carbon fiber that have stood out to you most?

Beyond performance gains, the biggest thing that stood out to me was how much carbon fiber modernized the overall flying experience. The airplane feels smoother, lighter, and more refined overall. The weight savings also affects more than people realize because it improves the day-to-day weight and balance flexibility of my airplane, too.

I’ve also gained a much bigger appreciation for the long-term ownership side of carbon fiber props. A lot of people assume carbon fiber means fragile or disposable, but learning how repairable and serviceable Hartzell’s composite blades actually are has really changed my perspective. It’s very cool how you can add back material instead of shaving and removing the metal until it is no longer serviceable. After flying behind one for a while, it would honestly be hard for me to go back.

Now that you’ve accumulated more flight hours with the Outlaw, what would you say to fellow Mooney owners considering an upgrade?

After flying behind the Outlaw for a while now, I’d say it’s one of the few upgrades you genuinely notice every single flight. The smoother feel of the airplane, the responsiveness, and even just how the airplane feels on rotation stood out immediately and never stopped standing out to me. I do a lot of long cross-country flying, so I’ve really come to appreciate the reduction in vibration and overall smoothness over long days.

I also honestly love the look of it. It modernized the airplane without changing what makes a Mooney feel like a Mooney.

You’re known for your series on social media, “Flying 5 Feet Per Follower,” with the goal of eventually flying around the world. How did you come up with this idea, and what’s surprised you so far with the response?

I got the idea after seeing someone online walking 1 inch per follower as part of a weight-loss challenge, and I thought it would be fun to apply the same concept to aviation. I picked 5 feet per follower because it worked out to roughly a mile for every 1,000 followers, which fit well within the range of my Mooney while still letting the flights gradually get bigger as the account grew. What surprised me most was the response to the very first video. At the time I only had around 3,700 followers, so the first flight was basically just a lap in the traffic pattern, but the video ended up getting over 20 million combined views across social media and gained me more than 100,000 followers.

I think people connected with the idea because it turned flying into a real adventure with a mission behind it, and honestly, every pilot dreams about some huge flying adventure someday. If the account actually grows enough to fly around the world someday… I really will do it.

You also started the “Follower Flight Plan,” where pilots and followers help plan and participate in multi-leg flying adventures across the western United States. What inspired you to bring the general aviation community together in this way?

Once “Flying 5 Feet Per Follower” started growing, I started thinking, “Okay… now what do I do with all of these people?” I wanted to involve everyone more and actually build a real community around it instead of people just watching videos from their phones. That eventually turned into the “Follower Flight Plan,” where followers help decide the route through Instagram comments and polls, and pilots can join for as much or as little of the trip as they want.

Last year, we did a Southwest loop through places like Monument Valley, Durango, and Santa Fe, and this year it turned into an even bigger California tour with stops at Catalina Island, Half Moon Bay, Napa Valley, South Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, and Big Bear. Watching Instagram polls turn into actual real-world flying adventures with multiple airplanes joining along the way has honestly been surreal.

Do you have any memorable stories or favorite moments from these air tours?

During this year’s California “Follower Flight Plan,” we had all the pilots who joined us make paper airplanes for a paper airplane distance contest with a $500 Aircraft Spruce gift card for the winner.

One of the pilots in our group had been dealing with engine and alternator troubles during the trip, and the pilot who won the contest generously gave him the gift card to help with repairs. I thought that was a pretty perfect example of what the aviation community is like.

There have also been so many surreal flying moments along the way, too, like flying a 5-ship formation over Lake Tahoe and up the California coast, flying over the Golden Gate Bridge, and strengthening friendships with the people I fly with.

What’s next for you in your aviation journey — any new adventures, upgrades, or long-term goals on the horizon?

The biggest thing right now is my new Mooney M20K 252 project. I’m excited about slowly turning that airplane into something special over time with upgrades, paint, avionics, and hopefully making it my main adventure airplane. I also want to keep growing the “Follower Flight Plan” tours and continue finding fun ways to bring people together through aviation and social media.

Outside of that, I’m hoping to compete in my first aerobatic competition this November, which oddly feels very similar to my skating background since the aerobatic box almost feels like a giant 3D skating rink in the sky. Long term, I’d love for aviation to become more than just a passion and content creation, whether that’s flying professionally or working somewhere within the aviation industry.

Follow Along with @SnowbirdTheMooney

Keep up with Todd on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube to see where his next flying adventures take him. 

Interested in the Outlaw propeller for the Mooney M20 series or any of our other high-performance carbon fiber aircraft propellers? Contact our team today. We’re happy to help you find the right fit for your airframe and engine combination.

P.S. Don’t forget that Hartzell Propeller is offering a $1,000 discount on Hartzell carbon fiber composite propellers for active AOPA members, now through the end of 2026! Sweeten the deal by asking about our propeller trade-in options.