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 regarded, quick-witted, and sarcastic JFK air traffic controller renowned for his humorous interactions with pilots.
  • His fame stems from outlandish, off-the-cuff banter with pilots, often involving other pilots chiming in, as exemplified by a memorable incident involving an accidentally broadcast cabin announcement.
  • Numerous YouTube videos celebrate his work, including a visually compelling animated one by creator Nassault that brings his famous exchanges to life using a realistic video game.
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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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