'The Rehearsal' Comedian Nathan Fielder Says He Can Stop Plane Crashes. Can the Aviation World Take Him Seriously? - WSJ

'The Rehearsal' Comedian Nathan Fielder Says He Can Stop Plane Crashes. Can the Aviation World Take Him Seriously? - WSJ

"His acclaimed show is based on the idea that a person can prepare for any difficult situation by rehearsing in a highly realistic setting. This season, he presents that premise to pilots, placing them in controlled situations and observing their behavior. These scenarios range from the expected (flight simulators that re-create potential crashes) to the absurd (auditions for a fake music competition, where pilots play judges who must offer honest feedback to singers).

"Behind the comedian's staged vignettes is a serious idea: After analyzing the flight-recording transcripts from decades of air disasters, Fielder believes that co-pilots have been either intimidated into silence or outright ignored when raising alarms midflight. His rehearsals, even the ones that seem silly, are designed to build confidence so the second-in-command feels more empowered to speak up-and the captain is more inclined to listen."