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Nathan Fielder Earns Commercial Pilot License and Flies Boeing 737 in The Rehearsal Finale

Capping a two-year push to earn a commercial pilot license, the dangerous flight served as a real-world test of cockpit communication.

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Overview

  • Fielder spent two years training for his commercial pilot license, logging over 120 hours of flight time and overcoming challenges mastering takeoffs and landings.
  • He conducted a real Boeing 737 flight with nearly 150 actor-passengers to demonstrate how structured role-play can improve communication between pilots and co-pilots.
  • To meet FAA requirements despite fewer than the typical 1,500 hours, Fielder completed an approved 737 course and leased an aircraft under a secondary-market arrangement.
  • The experiment highlighted a common safety issue—co-pilot hesitation to speak up—which Fielder aimed to address through cockpit rehearsals and feedback drills.
  • Following the successful flight, he has begun working intermittently for Nomadic Airlines, relocating empty 737s around the world.