A series of plane crashes and other aircraft incidents have made headlines in recent months and heightened public concern about air travel. But one pilot and therapist tells Newsweek that a fear of flying can be managed effectively with the right mindset and coping strategies.
Michaela Renee Johnson, a licensed commercial pilot and psychotherapist, has been navigating the skies in small aircraft since she was 16. As a member of the historic Ninety-Nines, the women’s aviator group founded in 1929 with Amelia Earhart as its first president, Johnson understands the anxieties surrounding air travel.
Johnson, who recently flew into the busy San Francisco Bay Area airspace, acknowledges that even seasoned pilots are feeling the weight of these recent plane tragedies.
“I’m definitely on high alert. All the recent incidents have definitely landed my attention,” Johnson said.“Safety is always priority, but I find myself hyper-focused on radio communications, scanning for traffic, and generally managing my feelings …