[5] Born in Jacksonville, Florida,[1] Katie Johnson grew up in a military family that moved frequently, living in places including California and Japan.

[5] Her father, Bill Johnson, was a 1981 Naval Academy graduate who flew an F/A-18 Hornet in the United States Navy and later worked as an engineer for Northrop Grumman.

[6] At age 26, in her first action against the Taliban in 2013, she piloted a KC-130 (call sign "Filth02"), which fired two Hellfire missiles and eliminated an enemy position, saving the lives of a group of Marines.

[5] The C-130 Hercules named Fat Albert, which she piloted on rotation with other Marines, is the opening act of every Blue Angels show lasting eight-and-a-half minutes.

[11] During the episode, she helped bachelor Peter Weber, a Delta Air Lines pilot, organize a group date, in which he put the female contestants through a flight training program including a gyroscope ride.