All language subtitles for The.Rehearsal.2022.S02E06.WEB.h264-ETHEL+AMZN+MAX.en[sdh]

-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.

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.

-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.

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.

-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.

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) ♪