From Puerto Rico to the skies: Christian Colon's journey to becoming a captain

Christian Colon's journey to becoming a captain | El Jangueo

In this episode of El Jangueo "The Hangout" with Jonathan Mejia, he talks with Christian Colon, who has been promoted to captain with GoJet Airlines.

HOUSTON - Christian Colon has been promoted to captain with GoJet Airlines, flying the CRJ-550 aircraft. Although he is based at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), he continues to reside in Houston.

What they're saying:

Colon has put in the work to become a captain and achieve his goals. Although flying for him is an everyday occurrence, there's one flight that he will treasure forever.

"Taking my mom and stepfather to Jackonsville, Florida. One, because they came to America not knowing English. My stepdad is an immigrant from Chile and having them on board and having them in the cockpit ‘hey this is my job’. As a kid I would go to their job but for me now they're my passengers. I tell them ;play around with the buttons'. I still see the pictures on my phone, and it's memorable," Colon said.

The backstory:

Christian recently joined "El Jangueo" (The Hangout) with Jonathan Mejia to discuss his inspiring journey from being born in Puerto Rico to moving to Houston as a child and eventually achieving his dream of becoming a captain.

GoJet Airlines is a United Express partner and a participant in the United Aviate program, which offers pilots a direct path to a United Airlines flight deck. As a United Express carrier, GoJet operates exclusively for United Airlines, flying the Bombardier CRJ-550 aircraft.

United Airlines' partnership with Sterling Aviation High School remains active. The collaboration aims to "inspire the next generation of aviation leaders." United works with the Houston Independent School District Foundation and Sterling Aviation High School, hosting a United Career Expo each year at Sterling, where Christian Colon graduated. More than 50 United employees are paired with HISD students through a mentorship program.

The Aviate program continues to thrive. United Aviate Academy, located in Goodyear, Arizona, opened in December 2021. Aviate is United's industry-leading pilot career development program, offering aspiring and established pilots the most direct path to the United flight deck. Students can begin flying for United in as little as five years, entering the broader Aviate pilot development program ecosystem after earning their private pilot certificate at the academy. United is the only major U.S. airline to own a flight training school.

Christian joins ‘El Jangueo’ 

Dig deeper:

In a 30-minute sit-down interview with Colon, we learn about his childhood, navigating immigrating to Houston from Puerto Rico, and his inspiring journey to becoming a captain.