Professional Aviation Educator Review 6/18/04

Charlie Victor Romeo, a theater show playing in the East Village , is the phonetic pronunciation of CVR -- short for Cockpit Voice Recorder -- restaging of several aviation emergencies and accidents, scripted directly from the actual CVR transcripts from many aviation accidents.

It is the most gripping, dramatic, and hair raising spectacle I, as an aviation enthusiast, have ever witnessed. We've all seen accidents play out on the news on TV, but here you are taken right inside the flight deck and watch the events unfold from 9 feet away. You are brought face-to-face and eye-to-eye with the pilots who had to face extraordinary circumstances, often met with tragic consequences.

The most powerful element of this show is clearly the acting. It is hard to act like a pilot -- they are truly a rare breed. Any funny business, and you'll look like the cast of "Airplane." These gifted players bring an incredible level of realism and drama to the flight deck, and since you know this all actually happened, you can't help but become mesmerized by the events leading up to and during the incident.

The show's sound design is also what sets this apart. It's loud, chaotic, immersing, and they've shed the Hollywood fakery for authentic cockpit sounds right down to the "whoop whoop pull up." Sounds of the gear, flaps, and communications with ATC are real-time and incredibly realistic, and they should be, because they are scripted word for word from the actual transcripts -- not "adapted" from actual events.

Charlie Victor Romeo should be seen by every employee -- it will change the way you think about your job, aviation, pilots, and remind you that what we do here is more than just a job, it's a mission that helps save thousands of lives, everyday. Watch this show, you will be forever touched as a result of it.

Charlie Victor Romeo is playing at PS122 Theater in the East Village on 1st Avenue and 9th Street , for more information, visit www.charlievictorromeo.com

     •  Shawn Chittle, Professional Aviation Educator