The Invisible Pilot is an HBO Max Docuseries that captures the incredible story of Gary Betzner, an Arkansas crop duster who died under mysterious circumstances. Or did he?

The mystery around this man's death would be more than enough for a compelling doc. But that is only the beginning of a story that proves that truth is most definitely stranger than fiction. Given the unlikeliest of events set against the backdrop of 1970s and 80s America and Reagan's war on drugs, the docuseries is Forrest Gump meets American Made meets All the President's Men.

Emmy-winning filmmakers Phil Lott and Ari Mark, co-directors and executive producers of The Invisible Pilot, share how they discovered this amazing story and how their investigative journalism led to the creation of a compelling 3-part documentary.

Watch the full episode at https://factualamerica.com/the-invisible-pilot

"Just because it’s a documentary and not a feature, it doesn’t mean it’s solely educational or intellectual - it can also entertain." - Phil Lott

What is Covered: 00:00 - The trailer for The Invisible Pilot.
03:05 - The synopsis of the docuseries.
06:18 - How Phil and Ari came across this story.
08:40 - What makes documentaries sometimes more exciting than feature films.
12:10 - What the US government was up to in 1980s.
18:20 - What Gary Betzner’s relationship with the government was while serving his sentence.
21:30 - The investigative journalism Ari and Phil had to undertake to create this docuseries.
24:50 - What Gary and his family’s reactions were to the documentary.
27:40 - How Phil and Ari approached and shaped The Invisible Pilot.
34:30 - What it was like to work with Gary Betzner.
37:30 - Upcoming projects for Phil and Ari.

Resources: The Invisible Pilot (2022)
Ample Entertainment
MovieMaker Magazine
Innersound Audio
Alamo Pictures

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