Meet Erika
Meet Erika
Hi! I'm Erika Hiddinga, the founder of Climb Above. I'm fortunate to fuse two of my passions—aviation as a pilot for a major airline- and personal development as a Certified Coach. My mission is to empower those facing challenges by equipping them with tools and information to rise above whatever is holding them down. I'm passionate about destigmatizing mental health in aviation by advocating for and providing support and assistance to pilots. I firmly believe that we as humans have the ability to increase our awareness, shift our beliefs, change behaviors and thus transform our lives.
Beyond the cockpit, I'm an avid explorer, finding joy in hiking, backpacking, skiing, biking, and globetrotting. I thrive on new experiences and always look for ways to get out of my comfort zone. I hope you'll join me on the path to personal discovery and development so you can truly achieve your dream life. Check out my qualifications below!
Professional Affiliations and Honors
- Designed the current Resilience Training Course for United Airlines
- Over 2,000 new hire pilots have received my training
- Trained in 12 coaches to work individually with struggling pilots
- Winner of the United 100 Award for this game-changing program
- United Peer Support Program volunteer and presenter at annual training, 2023
- Panelist representing United Airlines at Aviation Mental Health Symposium, 2022
- Aviate Academy Diversity Panelist since 2022
- Elementum Coaching Institute Graduate, 2024
- Resilience Practitioner Certification from the School of Positive Transformation, 2022
- University of North Dakota: Bachelor of Science in Commercial Aviation and Bachelor of Business Administration in Aviation Management, 2011
Flying Experience
- Type Ratings: Boeing 737, 747, 757, 767; Convair 580
- Over 8,000 hours of flying time (significant portion of that international)
- CFI/CFII, Initial CFI
- Seaplane Rating