Ep. 354: Trent Palmer | FAA Called On Me Twice, Lost My License, and Almost Quit Flying

Pilot to Pilot

Justin Siems

Aviation, Leisure, Flying, Pilot

4.8 • 997 Ratings

🗓️ 24 February 2026

⏱️ 86 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

He's the most-requested guest in Pilot to Pilot history — and the wait was worth it. Trent Palmer, recreational bush pilot and one of aviation's most recognized YouTube creators, finally sits down with Justin for a raw, unfiltered conversation about the highs and lows of a life built around flying and filmmaking.

Trent opens up about his journey from RC helicopters and drone cinematography in Hollywood to becoming a full-time content creator — including how FAA regulations ironically pushed him into getting his pilot's license in the first place. But this episode goes far deeper than flying cool places and making beautiful videos.

Trent shares the gut-wrenching details of his engine failure in the Nevada backcountry, what it actually feels like when the prop stops and you have 45 seconds to find a field, and why the flight home may have been scarier than the emergency itself. He talks candidly about watching a close friend crash — and somehow survive — and how each close call reshapes your relationship with risk.

Then there's the FAA battle that nearly broke him. Trent walks through both investigations, the $50,000 in legal fees, the four-year court fight that went all the way to the Ninth Circuit, the license suspension he wishes he'd just accepted, and the personal toll of having your character questioned publicly.

This one is honest, emotional, and packed with lessons — whether you're a pilot, a content creator, or just someone who loves a great story.

What you'll hear:

From drones on Hollywood sets to bush pilot YouTuber
Engine failure over remote Nevada — the full story
Watching a friend crash and survive a "unsurvivable" impact
Two FAA investigations, $50K in legal fees, and hard lessons learned
How YouTube became his full-time career (and why he almost walked away)
Advice for pilots who want to start creating content
What's next: floats, new adventures, and maybe finally starting that podcast

Transcript

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0:00.0	Episode 354 of the pilot the pilot podcast takes off now.
0:09.7	The Pilot to pilot podcast is brought to you by Ground School from the Finer Points,
0:13.8	the indispensable training app for new and experienced pilots.
0:17.4	Visit LearntheFinerpoints.com, backslash Justin Justin to save 10% off your first year.
0:22.5	Fly with Garmin avionics, then grab your mobile device and make the Garmin pilot app your
0:26.8	cockpit companion. Get advanced functions you'll use before, during, and after every flight,
0:32.7	including updating your aircraft's databases and logging engine data, file fly log with garmin pilot all pilots need
0:41.8	the big weather picture and i use serious xm aviation to check the fronts airmets segments turbulence
0:47.5	pyreps and more while i'm pre-flighting and in route all to give my passengers and me the most
0:52.3	comfortable flight possible and And now with the
0:54.4	latest offer from SiriusXM, there's never been a better time to upgrade your next flight with a Garmin
0:59.2	GDL 52 portable receiver to bring SiriusXM and ADSB weather plus traffic into your cockpit.
1:06.5	Hey, it's Justin. Quick question for you. Is your portfolio built to handle market swings?
1:10.7	Because the thing is, volatility doesn't care about your retirement date. All worst planning
1:15.0	experts are hosting an exclusive webinar breaking down the strategies that are working right now
1:19.9	from smarter diversification and downside protection to tax smart moves and liquidity planning.
1:25.3	And it's designed for investors like you.
1:31.6	If you've built significant wealth and want to stay ahead of the market shifts, this is time well spent.
1:32.5	Check it out at allworth airline.com slash Justin.
1:35.8	I'm Trent Palmer.
1:37.1	I'm a recreational bush pilot and content creator on YouTube and Instagram.
1:43.6	Aviation, what is going on and welcome back to the pilot the pilot podcast. My name is Justin Seams and I am your host. I do apologize. I've sounded a little under the weather. We are overcoming a cold in our house and it has kicked everyone's butt in our house right now. But we're overcoming it. We're making it work uh this episode is an awesome one it has been
	...

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