4 days ago
Nathan Fielder Shades Sully's Miracle on the Hudson: 'I Did Put Down My Plane Safely on Land'
Nathan Fielder's dedication to flight training for The Rehearsal season two was very impressive. Some — for sure Fielder (though he'd make it sound like it was your word choice) — might even say it was miraculous.
To help solidify his hypothesis about co-pilot-to-pilot communication being the No. 1 cause of airplane crashes, Fielder spent two and a half years becoming a real pilot. He even received his 737 certification and went wheels up with 150 actors as passengers — and one real co-pilot — in the HBO show's season two finale. Thankfully, after circling San Bernardino a few times, those same wheels touched down safely.
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On Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, Fielder attempted to brand his 737 passenger flight over the Mojave Desert as 'The Miracle Over the Mojave.'
'Are they calling this 'The Miracle Over the Mojave?'' Kimmel jumped in.
'I feel like I've seen people calling it that — online,' Fielder said in his usual deadpan. 'I think if you look at the comments on this video if you post it, I think a lot of people will be calling it that.'
'I feel like I've seen a Wikipedia page, too, about it,' Fielder added.
As of this writing, there is not a 'Miracle Over the Mojave' Wikipedia page. There are a whole lot of YouTube comments crystallizing the phrase, however, just as Fielder predicted (and intended).
'People are saying, like, of the 'Miracle' flights, which are flights branded with the word 'Miracle' in it — people are saying this is the most significant one,' Fielder said.
Sounds like that pilot cockiness rubbed off on the comedian rather easily.
'More so even than the 'Miracle on the Hudson,' huh?' Kimmel asked, referring to US Airways Flight 1549.
On Jan. 15, 2009, the Airbus A320 suffered dual bird strikes shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York City, losing all engine power. Pilot Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger glided the plane to a safe landing on the Hudson River, where all passengers were saved by boats.
''Miracle on the Hudson' is another one,' Fielder conceded.
And then he totally made it a competition.
'Not to create sort of like a competition or anything,' Fielder said, 'but I did put down my plane safely on land.'
He's not wrong.
'I wouldn't call myself — like, I'm not calling myself a hero,' Fielder continued. 'If people say that — I'm just doing my job.'
Then gesturing to Kimmel for a response, Fielder said, 'I don't know if you would …'
'I'd say 'hero,'' Kimmel said.
'OK, well, yeah that's fair,' Fielder quickly responded.
Watch the video here:
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