When you were a kid, remember when your teacher asked everyone in your class what they wanted to do when they grew up? There had to be at least one kid (maybe you!) who said they wanted to be a pilot. And some people followed through on that dream, making it a reality through tenacity and hard work.
Imagine that, despite all of your efforts, you are still not receiving the recognition you deserve because of your gender… in 2022, no less. Pilot Sabrina Johnson went viral on TikTok after posting a video of herself being asked if she was a flight attendant by a gate agent. Despite the fact that Sabrina was dressed in her pilot’s uniform. This appears to be a common occurrence for the 22-year-old pilot, who has an astounding 8 years of experience.
You’d think that in this day and age, most people, especially those in the industry, would look past someone’s gender when dealing with their coworkers. Scroll down to see Sabrina’s post and how the internet reacted to the whole thing.
We contacted Sabrina, and she was gracious enough to answer our questions about the reactions to her video, the challenges she’s faced in her career, and what advice she’d give to anyone who aspires to fly. Continue reading to find out what she told this website!
Sabrina Johnson, a 22-year-old pilot, has been flying since she was 14 years old.

Her video about being mistaken for a flight attendant went viral almost immediately.

Sabrina spoke out about the response to her viral TikTok video. “My initial reaction was mixed after posting the video because about half of my comments were rude and misogynistic.” However, after all of the articles that have been published and seeing how much more support there is out there, I feel like I should be posting and sharing more!” she told Bored Panda.
The pilot shared some of the most difficult challenges she’s faced in her career thus far.
“The most difficult challenge I’ve faced in my career thus far has been communicating with people,” she explained.
“On their own, studying for an exam and flying a practical test are two extremely difficult endeavors.” However, Sabrina mentioned that navigating all of the day-to-day social interactions with everyone was also a huge challenge for her. “And I think I’ve done pretty well at it, but it’s not easy.”
Those of you Pandas who want to be pilots but are afraid to pursue your dreams should probably consider whether flying is truly something you enjoy.
“My best advice to anyone interested in becoming a pilot is to visit their local flight school and take a discovery flight.” Before making any kind of commitment, it’s critical to take that first step and determine whether flying in a small plane for a few years is truly what you want to do,” Sabrina explained.
Sabrina, aka @sabrinaleej, is a 22-year-old airline and helicopter pilot who also teaches flying. She is a true inspiration to anyone who has ever wanted to fly in the sky, and she is living proof that with enough hard work and dedication, any career path is possible.
She has 8 years of flying experience, which is quite impressive. Consider starting now and devoting the next decade or so to a single goal. Naturally, you’d expect people to treat you with the same respect as anyone else who has amassed such a vast amount of experience and proven themselves time and time again (and again!).
“It bothers me because they work at an airport.” “You know what the pilot uniforms look like,” Sabrina wrote beneath her TikTok video, implying that gate agents should know better.
In a subsequent video, the pilot clarifies that being referred to as a flight attendant is not an insult. When it’s used to put her down after all of her hard work, it’s only an insult to her and the flight attendants.
Sabrina went into detail about her professional life since she was a teenager in another video.
Sabrina, aka @sabrinaleej, is a 22-year-old airline and helicopter pilot who also teaches flying. She is a true inspiration to anyone who has ever wanted to fly in the sky, and she is living proof that with enough hard work and dedication, any career path is possible.
She has 8 years of flying experience, which is quite impressive. Consider starting now and devoting the next decade or so to a single goal. Naturally, you’d expect people to treat you with the same respect as anyone else who has amassed such a vast amount of experience and proven themselves time and time again (and again!).
“It bothers me because they work at an airport.” “You know what the pilot uniforms look like,” Sabrina wrote beneath her TikTok video, implying that gate agents should know better.
In a subsequent video, the pilot clarifies that being referred to as a flight attendant is not an insult. When it’s used to put her down after all of her hard work, it’s only an insult to her and the flight attendants.
Sabrina went into detail about her professional life since she was a teenager in another video.

Meanwhile, see how some internet users reacted to Sabrina’s TikTok videos.



















