Girl Scouts learn about a runway of possibilities with Sara Johnsen

GSCO blog
Nov 7
2 min read

Updated: Nov 10

Girl Scouts and their families had the chance to meet Sara Johnsen, private pilot and Colorado Girl Scout alumni last Saturday. They got to explore McAir Aviation’s flight school, sit in a real plane, and ask Sara questions about her career! Sara, a standards captain, earned her pilot license at McAir.

Girl Scouts of Colorado got to do an exclusive interview with Johnsen about how Girl Scouts inspired her and to help the next generation of Girl Scouts get an understanding of flying.

GSCO: What got you interested in flying planes?

Johnsen: “My dad had a friend who had a hangar across the way over here. He had an old fighter jet, and I grew up around that plane. I thought it would be cool to learn how to fly it, so I took a discovery flight and fell in love (with flying).”

GSCO: What skills or values from Girl Scouts have helped you most in your aviation career?

Johnsen: “I definitely gained a lot of confidence being a Girl Scout, and I use that a lot being a female aviator.”[CS1]

GSCO: What are you most excited to share with Girl Scouts today?

Johnsen: “I was really excited to show them that women can be pilots too, and even though you don’t live near an airport, you can still become a pilot.”

GSCO: Were there any challenges you faced on your way to becoming a pilot? How did you overcome them?

Johnsen: “There’s a lot of studying involved and a lot of learning all at once, so it was a little overwhelming at first. If you stay consistent with studying it, I promise you’ll get the hang of it!”

GSCO: What advice would you share with Girl Scouts who are curious about a career in aviation?

Johnsen: “Definitely look at taking a discovery flight at your local airport at a flight school, and then start taking lessons from there.”

GSCO: What’s one of your favorite memories from flying, whether it was your first solo flight or something unexpected in the air?

Johnsen: “St. Barts checkout as a captain was very cool, first time ever landing there with passengers.”

Landing at St. Barts is one of the toughest runway challenges in the world, making this an incredible accomplishment.

GSCO: What do you love most about your career?

Johnsen: “I love traveling to new places and being able to fly myself there.”

A big thank you to Sara Johnsen and McAir Aviation for inspiring our Colorado Girl Scouts and showing them that the sky isn’t the limit, it’s just the beginning!