Morristown celebrates century of 'Mama Bird'

The accumulation of time is a hallmark of legendary aviator Evelyn Johnson's life.

In a world of several "long-time" pilots, no one alive today has flown longer. Johnson's 57,635.4 flight hours also stand as the highest time of any female in aviation history, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

"So if you get on an airline and a woman is the pilot, don't be afraid," said Johnson. "They fly pretty good."

This week Johnson reached another milestone in the measurement of time as she celebrated her 100th birthday.

"I look back at all of the things I've done and think, 'Wow! How did I do all of that in such a short amount of time?' 100 years goes a lot quicker than you think," said Johnson.

Johnson started flying in 1944. She said the activity was the result of boredom.

"I was working at the dry cleaners in Jefferson City and enjoyed it. But I was bored and thought I needed a hobby." Johnson said. "I saw an ad on the front page of the newspaper that said 'learn to fly' and it had a phone number. And I said, 'That's what I'll do.'"

What began as a hobby soon turned into a career as a private pilot, flight instructor and manager of the airport in Morristown. In the early 1960s, one of her students gave her the nickname "Mama Bird."

"She (the student) gave me a Mother's Day card. And I thought, 'What is she sending me a Mother's day card for? She's about as old as I am.' It said, 'Mama Bird, you treat your students just like a mama treats the baby birds and teaches them how to fly safely.' And it just stuck," said Johnson.

Although Johnson has not flown for more than two years due to failing vision, she continues to serve as the airport's manager five days a week. Managing the airport keeps her occupied, but Johnson admits the sensation of controlling the rudder, ailerons, and elevator of an aircraft is something she longs for.

"There's just something about flying that's different from everything else. I think maybe it's because you're up there looking at this beautiful world and know that God made it," said Johnson.

See the complete three-part interview with Johnson in the video section of this page.