-NATHAN FIELDER: Hey. -What's up?
Hello.
-How you doing, Nathan? -NATHAN: Good.
-Thanks for coming in. -ACTOR: Of course.
-♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ -NATHAN: So, um...
Yeah, the scene is-- is gonna be on a plane,
and your role would be "Passenger Number Seven."
So, when the flight reaches cruise altitude...
-ACTOR: Mm-hmm. -...um, there's gonna be like a drink service.
And your line is gonna be "Diet Pepsi, please."
-ACTOR: Okay. -Okay, so that's the...
Diet Pepsi, please.
Awesome. Okay, great. Thanks.
Can I have water with ice, please?
Black tea with lemon.
-A water with no ice, please. -I'll have a black coffee.
I'll have coffee with sugar, no cream, please.
I'm good, thanks.
Uh, orange juice and a club soda mixed.
Can I have a cranberry juice, please?
Perfect!
And, um, just so you have the context,
the scene is gonna take place on a real, uh,
-Boeing 737. -Mm-hmm.
And I'm gonna be one of the two pilots
-in the cockpit. -ACTOR: Mm-hmm.
Um, however, I will be the one who is flying the plane.
Mm, interesting.
-NATHAN: Yeah. -(LAUGHS)
And I just wanna be clear, so there's no confusion,
this is gonna be a real flight. And I will be flying the plane.
-Okay. -NATHAN: Okay.
Okay. Okay.
NATHAN: I know this is a little unconventional
for, uh, an acting role.
-Yeah. -NATHAN: So, you know,
if any part of you feels even the slightest bit hesitant
or uncomfortable with this,
I just want you to know it's totally fine
if you wanna opt out or not participate.
-Mm-hmm. -I would not be offended in any way.
Um...
Yeah, this seems fine. Uh... yeah.
You know, this whole thing is about making aviation safer,
so the last thing I would want is anyone participating
to feel unsafe.
Yeah, I'm not-- no.
Um, I'm in.
(LAUGHS) You know, sometimes--
No, I-- Yeah, I'm good. I'm good.
Okay.
Yeah.
Speaking of which, how-- how many people have
outright said, "No, I don't wanna be a part of this?"
-Nobody. -Nobody...
NATHAN: Yeah.
Wow. Actors.
Yeah.
-(DOOR CLOSING) -(CLICKS TONGUE)
♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪
Pitot tube cover.
Remove. Check.
Magnetos, off.
Parking brake, set.
Avionics...
off.
-Master, on. -(SWITCH CLICKING)
♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
Pullrod, counterweights...
Uh...
-What'd I miss? -Tire?
-Uh-- -The main? On the...
NATHAN: Clear prop!
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: Cleared!
(ENGINE SPUTTERS, REVS)
ATC: (OVER RADIO)
-One-six right, uh-- -FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: Alpha Charlie.
-Repeat it back? -FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: Yeah.
One-six right, Alpha Charlie.
Thank you. Thank you?
ATC:
Are you supposed to say "thank you" to them or--
-FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: No. -You don't?
-You just have to, every time-- -He said "thank you."
♪ (MUSIC INTENSIFIES) ♪
NATHAN: When I first began this project,
I had decided there was no better way
to understand pilots than to become one myself.
Okay, so I'm gonna--
-FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: You're gonna go full power. -Pitch-- I'm gonna pitch up?
-FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: No, no, no, no. -Oh, no, no. Full power.
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: Full power.
NATHAN: But it became clear very quickly
that I was not a natural at this.
-FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: -Okay.
NATHAN: Especially when it came to landing the plane.
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR:
No, no, no, no.
-FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: -NATHAN: Oh.
(ATC SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
NATHAN: I was told that most students
master their landings and are able to fly solo
after about ten to 30 hours of flight time.
But for me, I was seven months in
and had over 120 hours in the sky,
-and I still couldn't do it to their satisfaction. -♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪
♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
Um...
-FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: -NATHAN:
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR:
NATHAN: I was apparently such an abnormal case
that they started passing me around
to different instructors
in an effort to diagnose what was going on with me.
-Nose down. Nose down. -(ATC SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
-Make sure no brakes. -Okay.
-(RUMBLING THUD) -NATHAN: Ooh.
-FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: My controls. -NATHAN: Your controls.
NATHAN: I was learning that flying
was a lot more of a mental game than I initially thought.
Hey, I-- I--
NATHAN: They told me to do a thing called "chair flying."
NATHAN: Where you close your eyes
and envision yourself encountering
every challenging scenario and handling it perfectly.
♪ (MUSIC TURNS TENSE) ♪
NATHAN: But I could never shake that nagging thought
that if one thing ever goes wrong,
you're dead.
ATC:
-Oh, shit. -One sec. My controls.
-NATHAN: Your controls. -Uh, turning to the downwind,
eight November Delta.
There were a few crashes, like, since I've lived here, like,
four or five people have died in this area from flying planes.
That's way too steep a turn in the pattern.
-We gotta make this shorter. -Okay, yeah.
Or we gotta just turn earlier.
NATHAN: One day, while I was in the sky above the airport,
a student pilot and his instructor
crashed and died after reporting engine trouble.
♪ (TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪
NATHAN: After that happened,
I decided to take a month off of real flying
and just pretended to fly instead.
Second notch of flaps.
From my chair,
I imagined myself as a pilot who wasn't afraid of anything,
who was confident in every decision he made.
For this pilot, landings were easy.
And I even went as far as visualizing bragging
about my perfect landings to other pilots.
I'm-- I'm fine with, uh, crosswinds.
I feel like I can land those perfectly.
♪ (THRILLING MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
NATHAN: And then something just clicked.
(SOFT THUD)
-Oh, that was it? -That's all you gotta do.
Wow.
And they finally allowed me to fly solo for the first time.
Okay, bye.
♪ (THRILLING MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪
NATHAN: Six one eight Delta Hotel at CFI bench.
Student pilot first solo, uh, request taxi for takeoff.
ATC: November six one eight Delta Hotel,
Van Nuys Tower.
Runway one-six left, cleared for takeoff.
♪ (THRILLING MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪
NATHAN: There's something freeing
about flying all alone.
You don't have to rely on anyone else.
And if you ever make a catastrophic error,
at least the only person you're hurting is you.
ATC: Eight Delta Hotel,
runway one-six left, clear to land.
NATHAN: One-six left, clear to land.
Six one eight Delta Hotel.
♪ (THRILLING MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪
All right. (SIGHS)
(SIGHS)
-♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪ -FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: Good job.
-Thanks. -FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: Finally.
-♪ (DARING MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ -NATHAN: With that,
I was welcomed into the fraternity of pilots
and all the traditions that entailed.
My instructors told me I was the slowest learner
they had ever taught.
But I never gave up.
And over the next year,
I was able to get my private pilot's license,
an instrument rating, a multi-engine license,
and become a certified commercial pilot.
♪ (DARING MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪
NATHAN: For many of us, the solitude becomes addictive.
Miles away from any other human.
But when you're alone with your thoughts
for long enough, you start to get ideas.
Big ones.
And even if Congress wouldn't listen to me
about what was going on with us pilots,
I knew one man who still would.
♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪
NATHAN: I've never seen you in plaid before.
JOHN GOGLIA: I usually dress in solid colors.
Is this-- So, is this a new look you're trying?
-Or... -No, I've had this for a while.
NATHAN: Looks good on you.
JOHN GOGLIA: Thank you.
NATHAN: I'm starting to feel
that maybe Congress isn't the right path to get...
-(JOHN GOGLIA HESITATES) -...attention for this thing.
They-- That horse you have to bring to the water
and see if you can make him drink.
-That horse? -Yeah, Congress.
-I have to bring them to me? -Right. Or to the issue.
The issue being the well.
Part of it is like, it's so hard to find out
what's actually going on in the cockpit
because pilots don't wanna talk about it.
-And they don't want cameras. -NATHAN: They don't wanna talk about how they feel.
They don't wanna say if they're uncomfortable,
because they could actually get in trouble
or lose their license.
Yeah.
No one sees all the nuances of communication in there.
-Right. -How subtle it is,
the disconnects.
-They're only analyzing scratchy audio. -Right.
There's all these silences. No one knows what's happening.
-No one knows. -What I'm thinking is
a real flight,
in a 737, with real passengers, at 25,000 feet.
And for the first time, cameras in the cockpit
for the entire time.
And I know I can get them in there
because I will be the pilot.
That's a big bite of the apple you're trying to get.
And I think it may be a fruit.
-All right? -A fruit.
If you can show that it's something
that routinely occurs on every flight--
The miscommunication.
That will drive the people in control or in power,
like the FAA or the companies,
to change the training process to eliminate those disconnects.
All right, so what is your experience?
-With what? -With flying a big airplane.
Well, I don't--
I don't have an experience with a big airplane,
but how different is it than, like, a smaller one?
JOHN GOGLIA: Oh, it's a big difference.
I mean, the difference is huge.
So you think it would be hard for me to do?
How long have you been flying?
Almost two years.
How many hours do you have? You fly once a week?
-What do you fly-- -Like, 270, 280 hours?
JOHN GOGLIA: To be an airline pilot,
initially you need 1,500 hours just to get considered.
But do you need that to--
Yeah, that's what's required now,
1,500 hours.
But I-- I think you can go private pilot,
-instrument, commercial... -Instrument.
...you can go right to a 737 type rating.
And if you're not technically working for an airline...
-That's correct. -You can--
-So there's a loophole, right? -JOHN GOGLIA: Yep.
Well, but you're not gonna fly passengers with that.
Well, you can't fly paying passengers.
Right.
But if the plane is filled with actors,
you can do it.
-♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ -Yep.
-Right? -JOHN GOGLIA: Yeah, that's right.
-NATHAN: Because-- -Yeah, there is a loophole for that.
But I'm willing to take that risk, you know?
I have my qualifications, but if I talk about my feelings
and, you know, I'm being too transparent
and I lose my license, okay.
Because I'm not, you know,
I don't-- I don't need to do this as a career.
But if it means I can prove the point
that we're trying to make, maybe that'll be worth it, no?
Right.
But it's not gonna be easy to accomplish.
Gonna sit and think about that for a while.
Okay.
♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪
NATHAN: Throughout my time talking with hundreds of pilots,
I've become convinced
that this cockpit communication issue
isn't just an occasional occurrence.
I believe it's happening, in some form,
on every single airline flight.
We've all been in a transportation situation
where we wanted to say something, but didn't.
We convince ourselves that nothing bad will happen,
and it's not worth upsetting the person at the controls.
Most of the time, nothing does happen.
So we never stop to consider the risk we actually took.
But as a pilot myself,
I can say that we are no different from you.
We're all just people in the back of an Uber
trying to avoid an awkward conversation.
And I intend to prove that.
♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪
♪ (INTRIGUING MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
INSTRUCTOR: All right, well, here's the classroom.
NATHAN: Okay, great.
INSTRUCTOR: Go ahead and, uh, grab a seat.
If everything goes down on you,
you'll have essentially five buses.
The switched hot battery bus,
the battery bus, the standby buses...
NATHAN: The closest FAA approved facility
for 737 training
was in the city of Henderson, Nevada,
which was only a 19-minute drive to the Las Vegas Strip.
And as someone who had a bit of a gambling problem
when I was younger, I was a little concerned
about living so close to Vegas for a full month.
But it was a while ago,
and I didn't feel it was a thing that affected me anymore.
But when I found out
the entirety of training to fly a 737
is done on a simulator,
I began to wonder if this was more of a gamble
than I had initially thought.
So, pilots go straight from the simulator
to like, flying an airline flight with passengers?
Correct, yeah.
So, they don't even get practice on a real plane
before there's passengers in there?
Not to my knowledge. Everything's done in simulators.
So it's that good, it's that real?
-It is. -All right, wow. That's...
♪ (INTRIGUING MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪
NATHAN: I was in awe.
A simulation so good,
they were willing to bet every passenger's life on it.
It was the ultimate rehearsal.
If there's any kind of security incident,
they're gonna call the captain. If there is--
If somebody's having a heart attack or whatever.
NATHAN: I was overwhelmed by how much would ride
on my shoulders as the captain of an airliner.
The captain is the final authority
of what the airplane does.
Let's say the co-pilot's taking off,
and he's just really gotta go to the bathroom.
The captain could say at that point, uh,
"No, I need you to wait until we're above 10,000 feet."
So, the captain will say, "Auto throttle,"
and he'll push the button, disengage.
AUTOMATED VOICE: Bank Angle.
NATHAN: Shoot. What's that mean?
-(CLATTERING) -NATHAN: Oh! Sorry. Sorry.
INSTRUCTOR: There is a bird checklist.
If you hit birds?
-Yes. -Oh, wow.
Passenger lights on. Descend rapidly as possible.
Speed brake, out.
INSTRUCTOR: So the fire handle is gonna turn off your fuel.
It's gonna turn off your hydraulics.
It's going to...
NATHAN: But I've always believed that if you rehearse long enough
and hard enough...
Out full valve, to close. Passenger oxygen, on.
...nothing will be left to chance.
INSTRUCTOR 1: This is called your segment one climb.
Is category B--
-Category B is a repair category. -NATHAN: Oh.
-INSTRUCTOR 1: Rudder trim. -Oh, you rudder trim.
INSTRUCTOR 1: There is rudder trim,
-which is right over here-- -Oh!
INSTRUCTOR 2: Pneumatic system applies power
to this valve here.
INSTRUCTOR 1: Every once in a while,
the handle will not come out.
There are some issues with it. There is a button...
-Flare. -AUTOMATED VOICE: Twenty. Ten.
-(LOUD THUD) -(NATHAN GROANS)
-Sorry. -INSTRUCTOR 1: It's all right.
NATHAN: Sorry.
INSTRUCTOR 1: When a fault is detected
in one of the engine fire detector loops,
between A and B, which one do you think?
-♪ (MUSIC SLOWS) ♪ -Um, probably, uh, B?
AUTOMATED VOICE: That is incorrect.
INSTRUCTOR 1: And it was actually A.
NATHAN: But because large jets are designed
to be flown by two people,
the biggest adjustment for any pilot
is learning how to work with another person.
What if there's, like, a-- a disagreement
between the captain and the-- the first officer?
Is there a setting in the simulator
to practice for that?
Uh, no. No, that's just personalities.
-♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ -NATHAN: I've always known that recreating
the real-life dynamic with a co-pilot
wouldn't be easy.
But according to John, for me, it might be extra difficult.
I would think, and this is just thinking
on the spot almost,
that having you in the pilot seat with them
may change the dynamics. Because you're low time.
Uh...
But I-- I may be wrong.
NATHAN: One of our Wings of Voice judges, Aaron,
had over 5,000 flight hours on a Boeing 737.
Uh, unfortunately, you're not moving on.
-Okay. -AARON: All right.
-SINGING CONTESTANT: Okay, thank you. -Thank you.
NATHAN: But there was also something
that made our dynamic unique.
He aspired to produce television.
We're flying alone one day and we were like,
"Why aren't we documenting any of this?"
So we decided to start bringing GoPros.
NATHAN: I learned that Aaron was making YouTube videos
that documented his adventures in the cockpit
outside his job at Alaska Airlines.
And I got a sense that he viewed me
as somewhat of a captain in the field of entertainment.
The goal for that is getting the pilot episode
-produced... -Uh-huh.
...and then pitched to see if someone
-wants to take it further. -NATHAN: Right.
Excited to see it
-when it's, uh... -AARON: Yeah.
-...when it's all done, I guess. -AARON: Yeah.
I think it'll turn out great.
NATHAN: A man with Hollywood ambitions
might feel he has something to lose by offending me.
And that alone might be all I need.
(AIRPLANE ENGINES ROARING)
NATHAN: Besides, of course, a 737.
What happened with the--
the plane that was from the Congo?
BROKER: (OVER PHONE) You know, I have no idea
what's going on with that airplane...
NATHAN: Every large passenger jet
in good working condition is usually owned by an airline.
But because of my relative inexperience as a pilot,
the only people who would even consider renting a plane to me
were brokers on the secondary market.
And what's-- How's the condition of this?
BROKER: Um...
It'd take some work to get it back up and flying.
♪ (MUSIC TURNS SUSPENSEFUL) ♪
NATHAN: So, I often had to put my training on hold
to travel to far away places
to check out planes that have been sitting
in an aviation boneyard for years.
BONEYARD BROKER: That's a low-time aircraft.
Only 15,000 hours on it.
Fifteen thousand hours on it?
-BONEYARD BROKER: Yeah. -Is that a lot?
-BONEYARD BROKER: No. -Oh.
It was one of the trickier things
for me to navigate.
BONEYARD BROKER: This is a Boeing 737-200 series.
NATHAN: As the captain, the airworthiness of a plane
was my final call.
Meaning I had to decide if it was safe to fly.
-♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪ -(DOOR CREAKING)
-BONEYARD BROKER: All right. -NATHAN: All right, okay.
BONEYARD BROKER: Watch your step.
NATHAN: Okay.
So, you're saying this is--
this is basically, like, ready to fly?
Yeah, yeah.
NATHAN: 'Cause it looks sort of like, uh,
a little beat up, you know?
Nah. It works.
But this doesn't have to be fixed.
This can be just like this when you fly it?
It can be just like that.
Okay.
And that's how it's supposed to look?
Yeah. That's normal for it.
Most of this right here would come out
and be replaced with more modern radios.
Okay, but can it fly like this?
Yeah. Oh yeah.
-So, this is fine as is? -Yeah, yeah.
Well, why-- What is this piece that's just sitting here?
'Cause it's not connected to anything.
BONEYARD BROKER: That is...
That's nothing. That happens all the time.
Nope. Not gonna do it.
(RATTLING)
BONEYARD BROKER: I'd take this out.
NATHAN: And it will fly fine without it?
BONEYARD BROKER: Fly-- You'll never know it's not there.
Okay.
-♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ -NATHAN: When you're an HBO show with money to spend,
the challenge of deciphering the truth can be difficult.
Am I doing it right, or--
BONEYARD BROKER: Yeah, you're doing it right.
It should take this much effort?
-BONEYARD BROKER: Yeah. -(NATHAN GRUNTS)
You sort of just have to look at someone
and decide whether to take them at their word or not.
BONEYARD BROKER: I've been all over this aircraft.
And it is in very good condition.
Would I fly in it? In a heartbeat.
If I had a family, I would say, "Yes, they can fly in it."
-NATHAN: Okay. -That's saying a lot. That's--
-(NATHAN MUTTERS) -Among mechanics, that is...
(SIGHS) ...kind of a proof...
-(NATHAN HESITATES) -...of your confidence
in the condition.
Is if you would fly your family in it?
Yeah.
Is that a bird's nest up there?
♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪
BONEYARD BROKER: It could very well be.
Is it normal to have a bird's nest like that, or--
It's not unusual.
There's a bird's nest up there.
-♪ (INTRIGUING MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ -NATHAN: Eventually, I was put in touch
with a broker who invited me to check out an off-service 737
at an airfield in San Bernardino, California.
We got 33, uh, 33 times six,
that's how many seats-- seats you got.
-Thirty-three times six? -Yeah.
-So, what is that total?
Uh, how many? Oh.
I didn't think it had that many seats.
Six...
It'd be 189, wouldn't it?
Hmm.
NATHAN: The company that owned the plane
did not want to be identified,
but it was by far the best looking 737
that anyone was willing to lease me.
So, I decided this would be the one.
-(ELECTRONIC WHIRRING) -NATHAN: Later that week,
I completed my required training
and became the least experienced person
licensed to fly a 737 in North America.
-(INDISTINCT CHATER) -♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
NATHAN: To treat myself,
I decided to make the drive to the Vegas Strip
to see a magic show.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
NATHAN: They say one of the hardest parts of magic
isn't learning the sleight of hand itself.
It's making the rest of your movements look natural
while you're performing the trick.
Has anyone ever seen one of these?
-KID 1: Uh-uh. -KID 2: Yes.
-What is it? -KID 3: Me!
-KIDS: Money! -Money?
NATHAN: When I was 13, I became interested in magic.
-Two, three. -(KIDS ROAR)
-(ADULTS EXCLAIM) -Wow.
-You made it grow. -(APPLAUSE, CHEERING)
NATHAN: But people would always be suspicious of my performance
because they said the way I moved and gestured
didn't look right to them.
That there was something off about me.
...nothing. But what you actually did...
So, I studied how other people would move,
regular people on the street, and started copying them.
And it helped me become a better magician.
But when you practice being other people for long enough,
you can forget to learn about yourself.
♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪
♪ (GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
NATHAN: The last thing I had to do before flying a 737
was complete my annual FAA medical clearance.
(KEYBOARD CLACKING)
NATHAN: It's something every pilot does.
You have to fill out a mandatory questionnaire
disclosing any and all conditions that you have.
If you lie on this form, it's a felony offense,
with a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
I've never been officially diagnosed with anxiety,
but I've definitely felt the emotion.
A lot, actually,
and I've been feeling it for months
about this upcoming flight.
Also, this word "etcetera."
at the end of the sentence confused me.
What else did they mean by "etcetera?"
So before completing the form,
I went to see a doctor who would allow our cameras inside
to be sure I was representing
my current state of health accurately.
DR. JORDAN: Many people are anxious.
That isn't necessarily abnormal, it may be just the way you are.
I mean, it's-- it's complicated because,
you know, as an entertainer, I find that, like,
having a little bit of anxiety can be a good thing,
'cause it adds like an energy to your performance.
-For sure. -But, you know, as a pilot,
it's-- it's a very--
like, it seems like it might be illegal.
DR. JORDAN: Any potential problem area
is only something reportable to an agency
when it interferes with your capacity
to perform adequately.
NATHAN: The doctor first went through
a verbal questionnaire with me.
"How often do you have thoughts
that something awful might happen?"
Awful? I mean...
DR. JORDAN: This is someone who's anxious.
What we're looking at is different parts of the brain
that are now connected into this anxiety process.
Doing the scan, you come up with a potential diagnosis.
NATHAN: Dr. Jordan told me he uses something
called an "fMRI machine" that scans your brain
and can detect many of the neurological conditions
on the FAA medical form.
You can look for, um, OCD,
attention deficit disorder, anxiety, depression, autism,
a thought disorder like schizophrenia.
-Uh, autism? -So, we come up with--
-Well, if someone had autism-- -How does it test for that?
You can see things with autism that are fairly characteristic.
Obviously, in-- At least some individuals with autism,
it might impair your ability to pilot an airplane.
And, obviously, that endangers
not just themselves, but everybody else.
And there-- there may be other issues.
You know, some people might have--
So, like, I-- Can I choose what we test for or no?
It's all done at the same time.
-So, one scan... -DR. JORDAN: It's not--
...you can diagnose everything?
-♪ (GENTLE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ -It's all included.
And, again, I always have to reassure people,
whatever we find, it's all good.
Because we're gonna-- We're gonna learn something
that's unique to you.
And I-- I'll tell you, having done this
many thousands of times now,
it's a journey that people love to go through.
I'm Roxanne. How are you today?
-NATHAN: Good. How are you? -ROXANNE: Good. I'm great, thank you.
-And here's a locker for you. -(LOCKER OPENING)
-It's right over here. -I just have my phone.
Today we're gonna be doing an fMRI,
which is a functional MRI, which is a study of the brain.
You're gonna see a black screen
with three sets of words or phrases.
It might be "lose family," "become a burden," "go hungry."
So, select one of those phrases
and I want you to feel what that would feel like.
-"Lose family?" -Yeah.
-And then pretend I lost-- -ROXANNE: So pretend.
-My family died? -Yeah. Mm-hmm.
-Something. -All of them?
-No. -NATHAN: Oh.
-Whatever comes to mind. Whatever comes to mind. Yeah. -Just one-- One family member.
-Whatever comes to mind. -NATHAN: One or two? Okay.
ROXANNE: But I want you to feel what it would feel like.
(MACHINE PULSING)
♪ (MUSIC TURNS WISTFUL) ♪
(MACHINE BEEPING, WHIRRING)
(MACHINE WHIRRING, PULSING)
-Thank you. -ROXANNE: You're welcome.
♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪
ROXANNE: All right, that is it.
We are all done.
-Did you see anything? -ROXANNE: I'll exam--
Well, I'm not the doctor. I'm the photographer.
I'm the technologist.
So I'm not giving you any type of results.
Dr. Jordan will do that. It's a long exam.
They have a lot of data they have to put together.
Uh, how long does it take to get the--
It could take a couple weeks, a month. I'm not sure.
-A couple weeks or a month? -ROXANNE: Yeah, yeah.
So, it's not like a regular physical MRI.
-NATHAN: Sure, yeah. -So, it's a lot of data
they have to collect and put together.
It's just that I'm gonna be flying, uh, a 737, um,
in a few days filled with, you know,
um, people. So...
-It's like a regular MRI-- -NATHAN: I was-- I was hoping
to like, you know, get the results before that.
ROXANNE: Yeah.
Do you work for an airline or private?
No, I'm...
I mean, I'm mostly a comedian.
So... (HESITATES) Yeah. But...
Yeah. I don't think you're gonna get the results
in a couple of days.
-Yeah. -ROXANNE: Yeah.
♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
NATHAN: The San Bernardino flight
had taken months to organize.
And if it was delayed for any reason,
we'd lose our window
and the flight wouldn't happen at all.
I looked up how other pilots
deal with this type of ambiguity,
knowing what to disclose when you're not exactly sure.
I found a thread where someone posted
that their friend was a regional first officer
who was just diagnosed with autism.
♪ (TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪
NATHAN: In the responses, all the pilots were perplexed
as to why he would get tested in the first place.
They said you can lose your license
by disclosing something like this.
I mean, with the knowledge I had, I'm fit to fly.
So, I guess I'm fit to fly.
♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪
♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪
Okay, I just want to be clear
about what's gonna happen on this flight.
Okay, I'm trying to demonstrate how hard it can be for any pilot
to say what they're thinking in a cockpit environment.
And this dangerous phenomenon that leads to planes crashing,
I truly believe happens in some form
on every single airline flight.
Now, obviously we want this flight--
I don't wanna let anything unsafe happen.
So, the second I see my co-pilot
thinking something that he's not saying,
you're gonna get to see that.
And then I'm gonna quickly jump in and, uh,
ask him about how he's feeling,
so he can share that with me and be comfortable sharing that,
and nothing will be left unspoken. Okay?
And, obviously, um, this is gonna be very safe
because I'm someone who's uniquely attuned
to this issue, I've been studying it.
So, there really--
And I'm gonna be in the captain's seat.
So, there's really nothing to worry about.
♪ (UPLIFTING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
NATHAN: Thank you.
♪ (MUSIC SWELLS) ♪
-Morning. -Hey, how are you?
-Good, how are you? -Good.
You wanna do your pre-flight flows
-and I'll do the walk-around? -Yeah, that works.
-Okay. Okay, great. -It's perfect.
♪ (UPLIFTING MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪
(ALARM RINGING)
(RAPID BEEPING)
-All right. Looks good. -♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪
Perfect.
-Start switches. -NATHAN: Continuous.
-Electrical. -NATHAN: Uh, generators on.
APU.
-NATHAN: APU is off. -Uh, probe heat.
Probe heat is not required.
-AARON: Uh... -NATHAN: Or is it off?
-AARON: On. -NATHAN: Oh, it's on.
-Yeah. -NATHAN: Oh. Oops.
-♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ -(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
NATHAN: Nearly 150 actors would be joining us.
Their only purpose was their presence.
To simulate any psychological effect
that a plane full of humans might have on the pilots
in the cockpit.
I was thinking about it, in all the aviation movies
or shows that I've-- I've seen,
I don't think the actor's ever actually flown the airplane,
so I was wondering if this is the first time...
-of this size-- -Like me being the actor.
Yeah, like you being the actor.
Like, you're not having to have someone else
come fly for you or go in a simulator...
-Yeah, I mean-- -...to-- to make the show.
Right. Um...
I mean, I'm a pilot too, I guess.
Yeah, that's why it was hard to phrase it because it's not...
'Cause you're a pilot,
but you're also...
-This is your production, too. -Yeah, yeah.
AARON: You know? But you're an actor too.
So, I guess this is the way--
I've-- I've never seen that...
Someone that's an actor that's a pilot,
that's able to actually fly the airplane like this.
Yeah, that crossed my mind this morning. I didn't...
I hadn't really thought about it beforehand.
-Oh, okay, yeah. -Yeah.
Yeah.
Uh, let me check to make sure everyone's all good in the back.
Yeah, sounds good.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
NATHAN: I'll be doing the takeoff.
I'll be doing the landing, unless for some safety reason
I'm not able to or I'm incapacitated.
And in the unlikely event of a water landing,
the life vest is located under your seat.
The safety information card in your seat pocket
details use of the life vest.
Upon directions from your flight attendant...
(AIRPLANE ENGINE RUMBLING)
♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
-Clear on the left. -AARON: Clear right.
-This guy's holding for us. -Okay.
NATHAN: (OVER INTERCOM) Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome aboard. This is your captain speaking.
My name is Nathan.
I'm joined on the flight deck by my co-pilot, Aaron.
Uh, on behalf of your entire flight crew
and, of course, HBO,
we welcome you aboard this lovely Boeing 737.
Your flight time today will be approximately
two hours and ten minutes.
We're gonna be taking off
from San Bernardino International Airport,
headed out east towards the Nevada border,
and then we're gonna be turning around
near the Nevada border, and heading back
to San Bernardino International Airport.
Thank you so much.
Flight attendants should now be seated for takeoff.
San Bernardino tower, I'm ready for IFR departure.
ATC: Runway two-four, wind calm, clear for takeoff.
Runway two-four, clear for takeoff.
AARON: Clear right.
NATHAN: Cleared left.
♪ (TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪
-Ready? -AARON: Yeah, ready.
-Stable. -Set takeoff thrust.
Power set.
-Eighty. -Checks.
V1, VR.
♪ (MUSIC TURNS DRAMATIC) ♪
-Positive rate? -Gear up.
Is everything okay?
-Aaron. -Yeah?
Everything okay?
Yeah, everything's fine. You all right?
Well, yeah. Yeah, you didn't answer me there
-for a sec. -Oh, what did you ask?
-Yeah, if everything was okay. -Oh, yeah.
-Okay. -Yeah, everything's fine.
-(LAUGHS) Yeah. -Okay, good.
All right.
♪ (MUSIC FADES) ♪
Cookies? Pretzels? Almonds?
Thank you.
-If there's-- -What do you think?
Oh, no. If there's anything on your mind, you can tell me.
No. No, there's not much.
Okay.
Nice day to be out... flying around.
-Okay. -What do you think?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, of course.
No, I thought you were thinking of something
-when you didn't answer me. -Oh, no.
-Okay. -I didn't hear you say anything.
Oh, okay.
You all right?
Yeah, I'm good, yeah.
Oh, just, yeah, you went like this
with your eyebrows for a sec,
-so it looked like you were-- -Like what?
Like you sort of did that
-with your eyebrows, like... -Oh.
...you were concerned about, or...
-I think-- -...stressed about something,
-or... Okay. -No.
I'm not stressed about anything.
-Oh, okay, okay. -I think sometimes, like,
if I'm squinting or looking, like I...
I think I-- I do that.
-But, no, I'm not-- -You do what?
Go... Do that. What you were saying, like...
When you're what? When you're-- When you're looking
-at something? -When I'm-- Yeah, like, trying...
Like, I was looking out at those--
at those solar--
-those bright solar lights. -Ah.
And, yeah, I was looking out that way.
I don't know. I'm not-- I'm not stressed.
-Okay. -AARON: Yeah.
♪ (PENSIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
-Beverage? -Diet Pepsi, please.
-Is there something stressing you out? -What?
AARON: Is there something stressing you out?
No, just-- I-- I, uh, I was like
wondering if you're not saying something.
So, I was like a little, maybe, anxious about that.
-Oh, no. -I like-- I think, I just want--
-You know, you can say whatever. -Oh, yeah.
We can say what we're thinking in here and it's okay.
Maybe we should just do that.
Just like say what we're thinking
so we're not misreading or anything.
Yeah, no. If something comes to mind that needs to be said,
-I'll say it. -Okay.
♪ (MUSIC SWELLS) ♪
(ENGINE RUMBLES)
Uh, attention passengers,
uh, you may notice a small aircraft
off the left side of the plane,
uh, flying very close to us.
Uh, don't be alarmed. Uh, they're--
They're with the TV production and they're just getting shots
of us for the show. So, all good.
I decided to let Aaron fly for a bit,
so I could be on the lookout
while the aerial photography plane
was getting shots of us in the sky.
-Your aircraft. -All right, I have the airplane.
Little unnerving with how close they get. (CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY)
Yeah.
Trying to be as exact as possible.
NATHAN: Aaron started making little comments to me
about how close the other plane was getting to us.
Holy moly.
NATHAN: I wasn't sure if he was trying
to tell me something,
but I didn't wanna make things weird
by asking again if everything was okay.
So we just kept flying.
-Where'd they go? -They're over here. I got 'em.
♪ (MUSIC INTENSIFIES) ♪
♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪
Can we try something that I think might help
the communication?
-Yeah. -Um...
It's normally something I'd do on the ground,
-but I just didn't expect, uh... -Yeah.
Are... are you comfortable, like, playing a character?
I don't know if I've ever played a character.
-I mean, do you want-- -Like, like--
Do you want me talking more?
-Or not just looking out the window? -Well... No, no.
I-- I mean, yeah, but try...
-Yeah. -...like, pretend you're, um...
So, your character name would be "First Officer Blunt."
-(LAUGHS) Of course, yeah. -Okay.
-And you sort of get it, right? -Yeah.
So, First Officer Blunt, like, his character traits
are he loves speaking his mind, and he's very honest,
-and he has no problem sharing anything he's thinking. -Yeah. Yeah.
And I'm gonna play a character called "Captain Allears."
Okay, and Captain Allears
-loves getting feedback. -(CHUCKLES)
And he's very open to any criticism...
-AARON: Yeah. -... that you might have.
Open the lines of communication
-type of thing? -Yeah, yeah.
Just so it might help us just with, generally,
like, communication in-- in the cockpit.
Yeah.
Yeah, we can do that.
I mean, I don't know. I...
I feel like if I got something going through my mind,
I-- I usually say it.
Okay, good. Yeah, that's all you have to do.
-(LAUGHS) Yeah, I mean-- -(LAUGHS) It's pretty easy.
(LAUGHS) Most of the time it's-- it's nonsense, so...
-Oh, okay. -Yeah.
Well, the nonsense is fine too,
even if you're not sure of the thought.
-Yeah. -If you think it--
it might be important.
-So, I'm here to listen. -Yeah.
-I love the feedback.
Uh, do you want feedback from, uh, the departure
out of, uh, San Bernardino?
Sure. Did I mess something up?
No, we just-- we forgot, um,
I ended up retracting your flaps on-- on time...
-Oh, I forgot to call out. -...on schedule.
Yeah, you forgot to call "flaps 1" and then "flaps up."
-Right, right. Okay. -AARON: Yeah.
Thank you. Yes, yes.
I appreciate, and, you know, you can tell me in the moment
-if I forget anything. -AARON: Yeah.
I love knowing what I do wrong.
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, it's always--
it doesn't matter how long you do something,
you can always learn something.
-Yeah. -Right?
-Of course. -♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
So, we're gonna be landing at San Bernardino, runway six.
-AARON: Mm-hmm. -The localizer?
Yeah, I'm still-- I can't get the weather quite yet.
Okay.
-Three miles. -Yeah, you have to cut in--
-It'll be like a steep turn. -Pretty tight left base, yeah.
Should I do it? Should we try it? I don't know.
-AARON: We can try it. -What do you think?
-You want level change? -Oh.
-There you go. Yep. -Thank you.
Glide slope alive.
Gear down.
Flaps 15.
Speed brake armed.
♪ (TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪
How do you feel about me landing this thing?
I'm confident.
-Yeah? -How about you?
-Are you? -Yeah.
-Based on what? -(CHUCKLES) I don't know.
I feel like you can kind of tell
if someone's capable or not pretty quick.
And I feel like you're plenty capable.
This land's the same as the sim, right?
-The simulator? -What?
This land's the same as the simulator, right?
Yeah.
♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
-What are the winds? -AARON: And, uh, wind check.
ATC: Wind calm. Runway six. Clear to land.
AARON: Clear to land runway six.
Have you been doing flaps 40 landings
in the sim and stuff? Oh, okay.
-Oh, in this one. -Okay.
(ENGINE RUMBLES)
♪ (MUSIC SWELLS) ♪
There's 500 feet, runway six, and, uh--
oh, landing checklist, uh, speed brake.
Landing check-- Oh yeah. Armed.
Landing gear.
-Three green light. -And flaps.
-GPWS: Five hundred. -Flaps 40.
AARON: Landing checklist complete.
Okay.
Landing.
♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC OVERLAPS) ♪
GPWS: Fifty, 40, 30,
20, ten...
AARON: Speed brake.
T lights.
Let me know 80.
Eighty.
♪ (MUSIC SWELLS, FADES) ♪
♪ (UPLIFTING MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
-(EXHALES) All right. -Nice.
-NATHAN: Thanks. (CHUCKLES) -AARON: What did you think?
Uh, I don't know. I've never done this before.
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
-The landing was great. -Really?
-Yeah. -Thanks.
-(CROWD CHEERS, APPLAUDS) -(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
NATHAN: Even though none of these people saw
what happened up there, all this applause made me feel
like I had achieved something important.
ACTOR 1: You were the bomb.
Takeoff, landing, excellent.
-ACTOR 2: Solid. -Okay.
Maybe this is why pilots do it.
(CROWD APPLAUDS, CHEERS)
NATHAN: No one sees what goes on in the cockpit.
And as long as you get everyone down safely,
that's all it takes to be their hero.
Are you gonna keep flying now?
-Just gonna get a plane? -NATHAN: Uh...
I don't know.
-ACTOR 3: You should! -Maybe. Maybe.
ACTOR 3: You're really good at it.
-Yeah. -Okay.
It's been an emotional, months-long journey.
Over a thousand hopefuls from across the country
have been narrowed down to two.
The pilots voted.
And the winner of Wings of Voice is...
Isabella Henao!
-(CHUCKLES) -(JUDGES APPLAUD)
-Oh my God! -HOST: (CHUCKLES) Yeah.
-CONTESTANT: Oh my God! -(CHUCKLES)
Isabella, how do you feel?
(LAUGHS) This is insane.
This is crazy. I-- Oh!
It's been a crazy journey, a lot of travel. Uh...
-It's just crazy. (LAUGHS) -Well, Isabella,
-the stage is yours. -Thank you. (CHUCKLES)
♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪
(BREATHES DEEPLY)
♪ (PLAYS "BRING ME TO LIFE" BY EVANESCENCE) ♪
♪ How can you see into my eyes ♪
♪ Like open doors ♪
♪ Leading you down Into my core ♪
♪ Where I've become so numb ♪
♪ Without a soul ♪
♪ My spirit's sleeping Somewhere cold ♪
♪ Until you find it there ♪
♪ And lead it back home ♪
BACKING VOCALIST: ♪ Wake me up! ♪
-♪ Wake me up inside ♪ -♪ Can't wake up! ♪
-♪ Wake me up inside ♪ -BACKING VOCALIST: ♪ Save me! ♪
♪ Call my name and save me ♪
♪ From the dark ♪
BACKING VOCALIST: ♪ Wake me up! ♪
ISABELLA: ♪ Bid my blood to run ♪
BACKING VOCALIST: ♪ Can't wake up! ♪
♪ Before I come undone ♪
BACKING VOCALIST: ♪ Save me! ♪
ISABELLA: ♪ Save me From the nothing I've become ♪
♪ Bring me ♪
♪ To life, woah ♪
♪ Frozen inside Without your touch ♪
♪ Without your love, darling ♪
♪ Only you are the life ♪
♪ Among the dead ♪
BACKING VOCALIST: ♪ Wake me up! ♪
BACKING VOCALISTS: ♪ Wake me up inside ♪
BACKING VOCALIST: ♪ Can't wake up ♪
BACKING VOCALISTS: ♪ Wake me up inside ♪
-♪ Save me! ♪ -♪ Life ♪
♪ Wake me up, wake me up! ♪
BACKING VOCALIST: ♪ Save me! ♪
♪ Save me from the nothing I've become ♪
-♪ Bring me to... ♪ -♪ (SONG FADES) ♪
♪ (MELLOW INTROSPECTIVE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪
(INAUDIBLE)
-NATHAN: V1. -737 CAPTAIN: V1, rotate.
NATHAN: During my spare time,
I started working as a pilot for a company
that relocates empty 737s wherever they are
around the world.
Sometimes, I'd have to be transported by a soldier
to a military airfield in rural Ecuador,
where a 737 that had no seats in it would have to be flown
across the Amazon rainforest in the middle of the night
to an airstrip in Brazil.
Gear up.
For some reason, they trusted me.
I was one of two pilots in the cockpit.
And sometimes, when they'd be on a bathroom break,
it was just me in there.
Flying over the Atlantic Ocean...
-(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER) -...for hours
until the welcoming sands of Namibia come into view.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
NATHAN: They only let the smartest and best people
fly a plane of this size.
And it feels good to know that.
Set takeoff thrust.
No one is allowed in the cockpit
if there's something wrong with them.
So, if you're here, you must be fine.
GPWS: One hundred.
♪ (MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪
♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪