Meet Reinaldo Cherem. Reinaldo was born in Venezuela, and from the earliest he can remember he knew he would be a pilot one day. Every time he went somewhere by plane with his family, he begged to be allowed to go into the flight deck to meet the pilots. He collected every model airplane he could get his hands on, and dreamed of flying.
Reinaldo took his first flight in Brazil, but after being accepted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach to study Aeronautical Science, he decided to make the big move to the US. It was a challenge for him adapting to a new and unfamiliar language and culture, but he was able to earn all of his flight ratings, and a degree as well! It wasn’t always easy, and it definitely wasn’t cheap, but he was so thankful to have supportive family and friends.
Today, Reinaldo is very proud of his position as a Boeing 747 First Officer flying both cargo and passengers. He is passionate about helping people, and explained, “Whether I'm flying customers to their family members or if I'm transporting essential goods across the world, I know that what I do helps people. It makes the job very satisfying.” He doesn’t stop there though, in his spare time Reinaldois a pilot mentor and director of scholarships at Professional Pilots of Tomorrow!
PPoT is an amazing non-profit organization built by pilots that dedicate their free time to mentor current and future pilots to pursue their dream to have a career in aviation. They give real unbiased advice and information about career options, and help pilots figure out the right path for them in what can be a confusing industry. They also offer scholarships to help new pilots get a foot in the door, and Coradine is excited to be sponsoring their 2021 scholarship! Reinaldo loves his work with PPoT, and told me “If every professional pilot could take the time to help at least one aspiring pilot, everyone in this industry would benefit.”
Though he is obviously very professional and dedicated to his career, Reinaldo has a fun side too. Recently he flew 180,000 pounds of avocados from Mexico to South Korea, and joked “That’s a lot of guacamole!” When he isn’t flying or helping mentor other pilots, he loves to be outside playing soccer or cooking something on the grill. He is looking forward to seeing where aviation might go in the future, and watching other pilots follow in his footsteps. When I asked what inspired him most, he said. “Our PPoT scholarship applicants and winners. There are so many up-and-coming professionals out there who have amazing stories and have already achieved so much. Their unique backgrounds, work ethic and passion for flying inspire me to work harder. I'm grateful I get to help them during their journey in some way.
Want to submit your own application to receive a scholarship from PPoT? Apply here by June 4th 2021, and you too could be one of Reinaldo’s inspirations! Or are you interested in becoming a pilot mentee or mentor with Professional Pilots of Tomorrow? Click here to read more about their amazing organization.
