For some strange reason, he never allows his fuel to run
down lower than a one hour reserve anymore.


Although this is a reasonable approach to fuel management, it's not the
most professional approach, nor does it allow the maximum utility of
one's aircraft. A competent pilot should, under certain circumstances,
land his plane with 30 minute fuel remaining, and do so safely without
anxiety.

It requires a complete confidence of fuel burn, which can only come
from many hours of operation of the exact same aircraft and proper
leaning procedure under all conditions and power setting. It requires
very detailed planning, because weather plays a significant role in
determining fuel reserve. It also requires a continuous re-evaluation
of weather and fuel situations in-flight, because weather can change
unexpectedly in a long flight that can affect what a safe fuel reserve
is. Last, it requires a clear alternative of what to do if something
unexpected happen at the destination runway: what if the runway you
intend to land become unavailable right when you approach the airport
with 30 minute fuel in the tank?

With all that, it is possible to plan a flight with 30 minute fuel
reserve. However it's just not possible to do this safely with a
unfamiliar aircraft.