Aviate helped Houston B737 First Officer Andre S. go for the gold and reach United

Andre S.’s pilot journey

Joined Aviate viaUnited Express entry point

Transitioned to United fromCommuteAir

Current role737 First Officer

BaseHouston

Growing up in Little Rock, AR near the landing corridor for the Clinton National Airport (LIT), Andre S. knew he wanted to fly airplanes since he first set eyes on them.

He began his aviation journey as a ramp agent and continued further into that career path as a gate agent. During this time, he lost his foot in a motorcycle accident, which led to some uncertainty over where to go next.

After meeting a frequent flyer customer who had a similar situation to his own, he was inspired to start running and build up his strength. This led him to run the Boston Marathon and enter the Paralympic time trials, which gave him the confidence to consider a career change he’d been thinking about since childhood. The sponsorships and endorsements he earned while running ultimately helped him fund his flight training.

Andre built experience flying for the forestry department in Arkansas before moving to CommuteAir, an Aviate partner, where he joined the program via the United Express entry point.

When asked what made him consider United as his destination during this process, the answer was clear.

“At the time United flew the Olympians and Paralympians and it was my dream to have a chance to fly them,” Andre said.

Now he’s a B737 First Officer in Houston, achieving his goals as a United pilot.