DULLES, Va. (7News) — A familiar voice on the radio brought an expected family moment to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Kenny Katnik recognized it immediately.
It was her dad.
Kenny, a 24-year-old CommuteAir captain, and her father, United Airlines pilot Kent Katnik, were preparing for separate flights Sept. 1 when they ended up on the same radio frequency.
Their brief exchange spread online, giving listeners a glimpse of the family behind the flight decks.
Now, the two are sharing with 7News how it happened, explaining Dad’s dry humor and looking ahead to the day they might fly together.
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Kenny Katnik, 24, a CommuteAir captain, was preparing to fly to Syracuse on Sept. 1 when she suddenly recognized the voice of her father, United Airlines pilot Kent Katnik, on the same radio frequency. (Katnik Family)
Kenny was headed to Syracuse, New York, on United Express Flight 4977. Kent, 58, was departing for Munich on United Flight 108.
Although they had eaten breakfast together that morning, Kent did not know his daughter would be flying that day. Kenny knew her father had a flight but had not expected to hear him while preparing for her own departure.
“His voice was the first I had ever heard on the radio,” Kenny said.
She recalled her immediate reaction: “Pops, is that you?”
Kenny Katnik, 24, a CommuteAir captain, was preparing to fly to Syracuse on Sept. 1 when she suddenly recognized the voice of her father, United Airlines pilot Kent Katnik, on the same radio frequency. (7News)
Kent had just switched radio frequencies as his plane taxied out. Hearing his daughter caught him by surprise, but he kept his response brief while concentrating on the work in the cockpit.
“it was such a pleasant surprise,” he said.
One part of the exchange drew particular attention: Asked whether he was a proud father, Kent answered, “Sort of.”
Kenny knew exactly what he meant.
“I know he’s proud. I know my mom’s proud, and I’m proud of them too,” she said.
Kent explained that the response reflected his dry sense of humor, something all three of his children would recognize.
Neither expected the conversation to travel far beyond the airport. By the time Kenny landed in Syracuse, a friend had already sent her a video of the exchange.
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Later, friends in Switzerland and Norway spotted it on their Instagram feeds and asked whether the voice belonged to her.
Kent, who joined United in 2000, is a Boeing 787 first officer and a flight instructor at the airline’s training center in Denver.
Kenny has flown for CommuteAir for two years and became a captain in January. She is based at Dulles and flies the Embraer 145.
When she began learning to fly, Kenny saw it as a chance to develop a new skill. As she worked toward her private pilot exam, she began to picture a career.
Kenny Katnik, 24, a CommuteAir captain, was preparing to fly to Syracuse on Sept. 1 when she suddenly recognized the voice of her father, United Airlines pilot Kent Katnik, on the same radio frequency. (Katnik Family)
“I knew at that point that it was a career that was made for me,” she said.
Flying is not the only thing they share. The two mountain bike, travel, and meet up through their airlines’ ski clubs. Kent said they generally see each other for at least a couple of days each month.
Kenny hopes their next professional milestone will put them much closer than neighboring radio calls.
“I hope to work at United very soon, and I hope to fly with him in the same flight deck together,” she said.
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