Video: YouTube Salute To Famous New York Controller Kennedy Steve

The controller, who retired in 2017, has a huge cult following online. This video takes his ATC act and adds in airplanes and more.

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Kennedy Steve (Stephen Abraham) was a highly celebrated and skilled JFK air traffic controller, famous for his quick wit, sarcasm, and humorous personality.
  • He was known for his entertaining and outlandish off-the-cuff radio interactions with pilots, which made him a unique figure in air traffic control.
  • An example of his humor included orchestrating playful banter among pilots after one inadvertently broadcast a cabin announcement.
  • His memorable exchanges are widely celebrated on YouTube, with one animated video by creator Nassault using a realistic video game to illustrate a situation.
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There aren’t many celebrities in the world of Air Traffic Control, but one of the most famous every is Kennedy Steve, born Stephen Abraham, was a JFK controller who retired in 2017. He was quick-witted, funny to beat the band, sarcastic and also really good at his challenging job. There are literally dozens of YouTube videos celebrating Kennedy Steve’s work, but this one takes it to the next level by animating it using popular and unbelievably realistic video game to illustrate the animator’s idea of what the situation was at the time. It’s visually compelling. Great work by YouTube creator Nassault.

But the real gold here is Kennedy Steve himself and his outlandish off-the-cuff interactions with the pilots, such as when one pilot makes his cabin announcement with the mid still keyed, broadcasting his “Welcome to New York” message for everyone on frequency. Kennedy Steve says, “Let the abuse start. C’mon, you can’t let him get away with that,” to which other pilots on frequency chime in with remarks and follow-up questions, such as, “What was the temperature again?”

This one is a can’t-miss. You will love every second.

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