The engineers at Flight Research soon recognize Katherine’s talent, and in six months her temporary assignment is made permanent. One of her projects is an analysis of the flight data on a small propeller airplane that had tumbled out of the sky for no apparent reason. Katherine’s work reveals that a large jet leaves a turbulence trail that can be fatal to a small planes crossing the jet’s path, even as much as a half hour later. This discovery leads to changes in air traffic regulations.

Shortly after Jimmy and Katherine move their family from Newsome Park to a more upscale development, Jimmy is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. He dies just before Christmas of 1956. Katherine grieves but is determined to carry on with her career, grateful to have had Jimmy’s support getting started in it. She has an easier time ignoring white people's racism than some of her Black coworkers do. One reason is her light skin: white people are sometimes unsure whether she is Black. Also, like her father, she knows when to be pragmatic. Instead of eating cafeteria food at a segregated table, she eats a healthier bag lunch at her desk. Finally, she has, like her father, a knack for inspiring respect. She openly enjoys interacting with the smart white men she works with. By treating them as equals, she encourages them to treat her as one.