While in college, he also earned his civilian commercial pilot certificate with multi-engine landplane and single-engine seaplane ratings.

Johnson enjoys athletics, cycling, swimming, and auto repair, and has two grown sons from a previous marriage.

[1] Johnson received his commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy Reserve through Aviation Officer Candidate School at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida in September 1977, and received his Naval Aviator wings via the Strike Jet training pipeline in December 1978.

Upon completion of flight training, he was designated as a Selectively Retained Graduate (SERGRAD) and spent 1979 and part of 1980 as an instructor pilot in the TA-4J Skyhawk II aircraft.

After graduation, he reported to Naval Weapons Center China Lake, California, performing flight tests in the A-6E Intruder and F/A-18A Hornet aircraft.

Johnson resigned his Regular Navy commission in 1990 and transferred back to the Naval Reserve while accepting a concurrent civil service position with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Aircraft Operations Division at Ellington Field, Texas.

[1] In April 1990, Johnson was accepted as an aerospace engineer and research pilot at the NASA JSC Aircraft Operations Division, Ellington Field, Texas.

The mission also replaced a Fine Guidance Sensor, six gyroscopes, and two battery unit modules to allow the telescope to continue to function at least through 2014.

[1] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.