Trust Your Pilot

Trust Your Pilot is a lighthearted puppet (or live-action with actors) comedy with a powerful message: learning to fully trust God, even when His flight plan doesn’t match ours. Set on a chaotic airplane ride with two bickering puppets and their puppeteer, this playful script mirrors our own spiritual journey — reminding us that we’re not in the pilot’s seat, and that’s a good thing.

As their flight detours through unexpected stops, Moe and Joe must learn to stop complaining and trust their unseen pilot — "Captain Eternal" — who has everyone's best interest at heart. Great for kids or intergenerational services, and easily adapted for live drama.

Bible Reference:     Matthew 16:28

Cast: 4 m or f

• Pilot OSV (offstage voice only)
• Tracy – puppeteer (m or f)
• Moe – puppet (m or f)
• Joe – puppet (m or f)

Bible Reference: Matthew 16:21-28

Set:

• chairs set up to resemble airplane interior, low table for puppets

Sound: wireless mics if available

Song: none

Lighting: standard

SFX: none

Props: suitcase

Costumes: standard

Special Instructions:

• Early lines could be recorded in advance, as could all puppet’s lines throughout the skit.

Time: 7

Sample from Trust Your Pilot©

(Opens with offstage voices)

OSV Pilot:
This is your First Officer, Captain Eternal, speaking... Last call, everyone should now be in their seats... seat belts fastened, seat backs fully forward, and seat tables in the locked and upright position in preparation for takeoff.

OSV Tracy:
OK guys, I’ll have to make a run for it or we’ll miss our flight.

OSV Joe:
Hey, slow down will ya? It’s dark in here... and obviously we’re flying economy again—no padding at all in this old suitcase!

OSV Moe:
You should talk, Joe. I’m on the bottom and—(strained voice)—you’ve got your elbow in my Adam’s apple!

OSV Joe:
Get over it, Moe. As the senior member of this team, I expect the best spot.

(There is noise offstage of box falling)

OSV Joe:
Hey! Whoa! What’s goin’ on out there?

OSV Moe:
Tracy, did you go and drop the suitcase... and us in it?

OSV Tracy:
Sorry, I was trying to rush and...

OSV Joe:
Maybe you never heard the old saying: “Slow and steady makes for less bruising?”

OSV Moe:
Actually Joe, I think the old saying is “Slow and steady wins the race.”

OSV Joe:
Shhhhhhhhhhhh! Don’t you ever say the word “race” or Tracy will act like we are—(mimics racetrack announcer)—down the stretch... at the Kentucky Derby!

(Tracy comes onstage carrying a “very heavy” suitcase)

OSV Joe:
How much further do we gotta go, Tracy?

Tracy:
It’s not far now. Let’s see... our seats are Row 6, seats A, B and C.

OSV Moe:
Sure—and I suppose I get the middle seat again. Like, zero elbow room!

OSV Joe:
Maybe you expect that me, being the senior member of the team, should get the middle seat?

OSV Moe:
Well Joe, no way you should always get first choice...

OSV Joe:
Live with it, Moe!

OSV Moe:
But it’s not fair...

Tracy:
Enough already! I will sit in the middle seat.

OSV Moe:
And I’m sure Joe here will want the window seat too, won’t you Joe? I always get stuck with the aisle seat!

OSV Joe:
No, I will let you have the window seat, Moe... The stewardesses will want to be close to me—they know how gorgeous I am.

Tracy:
OK, here are our seats...

(Tracy puts suitcase down on low table)

OSV Moe:
Whoa! Steady, big fella!

OSV Joe:
Bruising! Bruising!

(Tracy takes puppets out of suitcase and sets them up on top of suitcase on table. Lines are now “live.”)

Joe:
Hey, careful of my arm—it wasn’t built to turn in that direction.

Moe:
I think I just might have whiplash.

Tracy:
Will you two stop your complaining?

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