KENNEDY STEVE: IF YOU GIVE UP YOUR DREAMS, YOU DIE!!! 

I’m a fan of Steve. He welcomed us in my first flight to JFK. Turns out an Air China 747-8 blocked our taxiway and access to the ramp. We were stuck there for more than 20 minutes while the Air China wouldn’t move because the had an argument with a Korean A380 that was blocking them too. When both whales moved away, Steve cleared us to the ramp with an “all riiiiight !!!! Welcome to a normal day at JFK!!!!”. I laughed the whole way to my hotel.

I love it when Aeroflot asks "face which way?" Steve hesitates for a moment, probably considering if he can reply with his trademark "face forward, passengers don't like it when you face them when flying the plane". But then he realises the Russians aren't going to like it, so he gives a straight answer.

I love how he refers to the private jets as the “top 1%” 😂

Steve is a nice, funny and professional guy. UNTIL YOU GET ON HIS GODDAMN TAXIWAY WITHOUT COMMUNICATING.

"I promise I won't hit anything" "That.. makes me feel better"

Why is this fun to listen to?? Did anyone ever question this? We're just listening to a guy directing airplanes around the airport, how is this fun? I can't stop going for more! It's just somehow fun to listen to...

Great laughs today..."er, where is Swiss?" "Er..it's near France and Italy..."

May I offer a suggestion: could you use a map of Kennedy airport as your background so that we the eager, but not die hard listeners, can have some idea how the various ramps, taxi ways and runways are related to each other. Otherwise these videos are quite entertaining.

"Nobody is coming out till I talk to that guy" It's awesome that he has the amount of power to say something like that, and then be gentle with L6290 when it responded

7:00 an INCREDIBLE 12 seconds of silence at JFK

“Ground, NOR SHUTTLE7001 our gate is open at the moment.” “Are you going to gate 4?” “Affirm.” “Well There’s only 1 problem. The giant SKY TEAM 777, in between you and the gate.” “Umm, can’t always get it right, can we?” 😂😂😂

I like a controller who can throw down a Harry Potter joke, especially when he knows the British pilots will specifically get the joke.

I think I'd have a mental breakdown after 2 minutes working in ATC, especially somewhere as busy as Kennedy

6:56 "If you can apparate above him, you can get in..." Dude, I laughed so hard. Kennedy Steve is apparently an HP fan.

This guy literally cannot go to work feeling 'off'. Born to be ATC. The incredible level of cooperation...this is fascinating stuff...not ONE time does he ever say he 'can't understand' or to 'speak english', he never calls anyone stupid or speaks condescendingly...all of which make many a conversation very cringe-worthy nowadays. He's made this into an art-form. And...for some reason I have always loved air chatter.

I had an uncle that was a controller at Stapleton four decades. I got to go up in the tower and watch them work a couple of times. The amount of information that someone like this keeps carefully arranged in their brain at one time is astounding. It kind of scared me when I was older and I realized how much pressure there had to be on keeping that straight.

"EARTH CALLING LINDBERGH 6290". lmao

At 9:08 when Delta451 asked where is SWISS? & Kennedy Steve replied near France & Italy, I lost it! I would've done the same, this is why air traffic is truly entertaining, thank you Kennedy Steve for some hilarious aviation moments!

Legend says he still repeats "Lindbergh 6290" to this day

it's always amusing to surveil somebody at work, and because Steve is exceptionally good in his craft it's even a greater pleasure

I absolutely love listening to Steve work. My ex-husband was an ATC'r in the Air Force and I used to go up to the tower in the evenings and just watch. I actually learned a lot in those 14 years of watching, so when I listen to Steve working ground, I actually can picture it in my head. He's really amazing fun ... until someone on his taxiway doesn't talk to him, then he's just entertaining, lol. Thank you for all of these vids, and please keep them coming!!

Even the _pilots_ love this channel!

"IF YOU GIVE UP YOUR DREAMS, YOU DIE!!!" and "Were is Swiss" are 2 good ones

the speed at which he thinks of the witty responses is just admirable - it's an art. What a great and funny mind

I've been listening to this guy for an hour over several videos without understanding half of whats going on--it's fascinating!

I love it when he says "Go first, go into the ramp now!" He just sounds so urgent to make his schedule work with the ramp fuckery.

It is such a joy to listen to Kennedy Steves' radio transmissions. Clear, concise and a tad bit of humour too.

Really not only amazing at his job but helping pilots to have a laugh and relief some of the stress they build up in the airport wiating to get airborne, specially in this busy one. Any chance to interview this guy someday ?. Would be a fantastic video.

At first I was SHOCKINGLY disappointed at not using his traditional 'Well you should face forward sir etc' with the Aeroflot but then I completely lost it at 'It's between Italy and France'

Flight 420 responds with "AWESOME" hahahaha

Been listening to Steve for a few years now. So sad he retired. Bet a lot of the pilots miss him. Never heard him bark like he did at the end!!

Heyaa, as I promised 10+ minutes of KENNEDY STEVE. It took me around 6 hours to edit all of this, so there might be some mistakes (please post them if you find any). I had in plans to add live visualisation, but it would be worthless to post it out of sync with the transcript because I cut only interesting parts of transmissions, so imagine how much time would I have to spend to sync it with the live traffic. I left one blank space, because I was unsure what KS said, so if you can hear it better than me, please post it here and I will correct it. Like always, if you're first time here and you're unsure about the terms used in this video, please check the FAQs here in the description or here: ru-vid.comdiscussion

Kennedy Steve... still one of the most professional controllers I have ever listened to. And while that always with a sense of humor. A shame he will retire soon but there is a lot of material of him we can always listen to... :D And 7:47 is the best example how to handle traffic that is not soooo familiar with US operations. In most european countries GND is controlling the pushback too, there is nothing like a "ramp". So the GND (here Kennedy Steve) would give every aircraft a pushback clearence with a facing. Ive heard several US controllers responding in a mean way to this request. Steve on the other hand handled it in a professional manner. EDIT: Yeah, to the AC in the end he was a bit pissed of... but who wouldn't with an uncontrolled AC on a big airport like Kennedy...

This ground controller just owns that job. He's brilliant.

. "Where is Swiss?" "Near France and Italy!" lol

Steve really wants to talk to Lindbergh6290.. Then in the 2nd sentence he said: ok, cya... GG steve, GG

Kennedy Steve is THE BEST. He preserves my faith in the entire airline system.

Amazing Steve... you put a frenchman stalking a virgin, and expect everything to be fine??? Lmao

What I like with this video is most of is just "a day on the job". Some humor but it more shows off how good of a controller he is. And as I've said before in these comments, he gets the busiest shifts for a reason. I've heard full shifts of his via liveatc and this is truncated of course but a good indication of what he's like day to day

7:47 "Which way to face, please?" "Face forward. The passengers get scared if you face them in flight."

Wow! Just scrolled through all these comments and I feel like I may have just found intelligent life on the internet! What a refreshing and troll-free read! That in itself is a tribute to the man KS.

Lindbergh 6290, lol, he said that like 15 times.

I love how Steve knows exactly what someone just said and who said it when a transmission is blocked

I just found these and Kennedy Steve is a legend. The work you're doing here is great, if live traffic could happen at all that would be amazing. I can just imagine how hard it would be though.

Thanks so much for posting these, I quit watching tv about 10 years ago with no plans on going back, so I sure enjoy these..

I have no idea how you keep it so cool and "light." Very impressed and entertaining. Thanks!

Years later, I still just love listening to Kennedy Steve!!

You ever wonder if Kennedy Steve knows how much of a legend he is?

At 6:58 "Well, you know, if you can apparate above him, but he's sitting in the alleyway." -- apparently Kennedy Steve watched Harry Potter?

This is one of the better ones I have seen. I love Kennedy Steve he makes my day. Thank you so much for posting your great videos.

2:49 "...top 1%..." always cracks me up.

Kennedy Steve is such a nice guy... not even a phone number for 6290. :P

Kennedy radio is great, love the accents, along with the wit and wisdom of Mr Steve Kennedy. Most impressed by BA drivers, very concise, crisp and professional, the Delta skyboys enjoy themselves more than anyone, great sense of humors. Sympathy for the Aeroflot pilot, English is a real problem for the man, must be new to JFK also. That's for the uploads

Love this!! “Mythically talk to me”. As the man says “love the commentary!”

I listen to a lot of these ATC transcripts but this was, by far, the most entertaining.

“Ground, Delta 451, where is SWISS?” “Uhhh...it’s near France and Italy.” 😂😂😂

Such a shame Steve had to retire. I have really enjoyed listening to him. I get the feeling he would be a fascinating guy to know, and to talk to in real life.

What an AWESOME dispatcher!! All that stress and a sense of humor too! He's really on top of EVERYTHING, very comforting to hear.

Awesome video. Damn these guys are busy. I've had some jobs where I was very busy but none of them had this level of responsibility or urgency. They're amazing workers. One day I'll know what all the calls mean, I'm probably a bit naive in regards to the size of the airport, I live near an airport with 1 runway so I don't often see a big international airport. One day I'm going to go to Sydney and just scope it all out.

9:38 Tempting to pretend understanding "follow witchcraft?".

The Lindbergh got kidnapped

Kennedy Steve is my nighttime Asmr...no shame

Steve was really rocking this day! Man I miss listening to this CHAMPION!

The chance for an error by controller and pilot are increasing as airports expand. One day very soon, this job MUST be done by computer as it is apparent that it takes a huge level of human skill that Kennedy Steve obviously has. Imagine one of the pilots is responsible to listen to all this rapid chatter and still do his/her job in the cockpit. The attention to detail level is enormous. Hats off to Kennedy Steve while humans still are capable of handling this job with skill and humor.

Amazing! I'm used to deal with rio de Janerio intl Galeão working at Rio Approach Control and hear this operation is a lession for me

I'm always in awe of the magnificent work of ATC's.

after 10 Kennedy Steve Videos you 're remembering one thing: HOLD SHORT ON NOVEMBER XD

What a legend of Kennedy Steve was - too hard to beat!

Love this stuff, GREAT. banter, awesome humor, I would be so stressed.

I became increasingly worried about Lindbergh 6290.. Not that he had blown up or anything.. Just what Steve's reaction was gonna be when he finally answered him lol.

6:56 roflmao "if you can Apparate up above him" BECAUSE IT'S A BRIT! He made a Harry Potter joke!

“Earth to lindburg 6290” I so aspire to be this guy

Earth calling Lindburg 6290' haha loved that xx

6:55 The missing word is "apparate", Harry-Potter-ese for teleporting, which is what NAX7001 would have to do to get past the 777...

KS: “Only one problem...” Pilot: ???? KS: “that GIANT 777 blocking you” 😂

Another great one. Love these.

I found the Swiss joke the funniest.

I am glad Dad explained a lot of that lingo...he was an airforce ATC...lol...and when he came home after all the acronyms etc, he said it is nice to speak English after every shift as the tower was a totally different language...lol...and at that stage he had been in air traffic control for about 30 years then...after being a pilot...he knew both worlds, up there with the birds and ground as well. He retired in '77. I am surprised some of the civvy pilots don't end up in the nut house.

Steve, another shy New Yorker. lol. You are great man. Thanks.

Love the Delta 444 Heavy captain calling the MD-88 the MAD DOG

I could listen to this guy all day.

Kennedy Steve Abraham, the master of them all.

Oh, I really really miss Kennedy Steve!! I hope he is having a great retirement! Maybe he'll get bored and do a little part-time.....at least we have all these classic Kennedy Steve conversations!!

"If you can apparate up above him, you can get in..." Lol this is making me feel better about my first solo to a towered airport

@6:55 "if you can apparate above him" he says. It's a Harry Potter reference, apparition is literally just teleportation.

Who else wants Kennedy Steve as their personal Tower controller anywhere they have to fly?

7:46 There are two things about aeroflot. 1 it is very clear English is not their best language 2 Kennedy Steve is the absolute opposite to what they learned and what they expect from ATC in their country. Jokes are only allowed after application on the form in triplicate, and if the 30th of February falls on a Sunday. In addition, a security guard must carry a sign "beware joke". They are afraid of losing their epaulettes when laughing without permission. You can hear it in the unsettled voice.

This man's patience is unparalleled.

Great stuff ! I really dont know how he does it ! Very clear mind I guess !

I bet the pilots all miss Kennedy Steve. He's awesome

Just love the Swiss thing. This guy has a sharp mind :) Love the smooth irony too.

So glad I stumbled upon this....such funny stuff

One of the best!

I am in awe of this guy! Thank you, Steve really is something.

One of the most insanely difficult jobs in the world hands down

Somehow the British airways pilots are the only ones I can truly understand at once. All the rest requires concentration.

Omg I feel his pain with that 6290. I was a medic at a local event recently, and we had to ask management via radio when we were supposed to pack up and leave, and I had to call 5 times before I got "who's talking?" Fyi, we had "Gate 1" to "Gate 10" as well as "DRK" (us) using that frequency. It shouldn't be that hard to hear the difference between that, right?

"If you give up your dreams, you die." 😆 Truer words were n'er spoke.

You gotta admire kennedy Steve for keeping pilots from all over the world on their toes! He ran a tight ship!

Hehe. I love that guy! Even when he’s mad, he’s funny!