Trent Palmer narrates a Utah backcountry flying trip with other pilots in the Moab area. He covers landings, camping, cattle help and canyon filming.
What the video covers
Written in our own words. It only describes what the video shows and says.The presenter begins with a note that flying in the Utah backcountry is sensitive and that access has been at risk. He says pilots should research areas, follow local guidelines and practice responsible stewardship, then names the Utah Backcountry Pilots Association as a resource. The trip starts early on a Monday morning heading towards the Southern Utah Moab area for filming and camping.
Departure and initial landings
The group flies over the Top Gun area at Fallon Naval Air Station and, on flight following with a squawk code, passes through restricted areas that the presenter says were reported as cold. After a short stop at Ely the flight of Cubs continues east and meets the other pilots. The presenter recalls first flying here at the end of 2017, when he had just started his YouTube channel, and parks his Cub near the slot canyons. Once the crew has gathered, a short hike leads them to petroglyphs he remembered from that earlier visit.
Camping, cattle and canyon stops
The presenter drops camping gear at a private strip where Red Tail Air connected the group with people who had that strip. He stays in a cave and says it was surprisingly warm, mentioning that the sun may have heated the rocks during the day, while others use prepared tents nearby. The next day includes flying towards Hanksville, a stop near a black rock spire of around 150 feet and filming with drones. They also plan ground shots and use both a regular drone and an FPV drone. A local rancher asks for help finding cattle on the Colorado River near Lake Powell. The presenter flies at low altitude over sagebrush, lands on a dirt road and helps identify animals in the brush.
Air to air filming and the day's close
The group returns to Canyonlands airport at Moab for lunch, landing on the dirt runway, then flies on with the Cubs and a helicopter. Before the air to air shoot the crew briefs two parts: the presenter and another pilot fly in formation while the camera aircraft starts behind them in a safe position, and everyone talks the whole sequence through. At sunset Russ's helicopter films with a camera out of the side, Tristan shoots from overhead and Chris joins up, and the formation flies towards the moon before breaking away on a countdown. The presenter calls the moon giant and says no shot will do it justice. He ends the first part back in his cave, saying much has already happened and more is planned for the coming days.
