PILOT PROFILES

GOOD things come to those who BELIEVE BETTER things to those who are PATIENT BEST things to those who don't give up

This is the mantra by which a young Zimbabwean lad put himself through school, flight training and the drive to eventually become a pilot with arguably one of the safest airlines to travel in the world. and is also providing innovative safety solutions to the aviation industry

For Gerald Chiweshe as a small boy, growing up in Africa, with little to no money, food or opportunity, there was one constant - his parents never gave up on him. Even though his father had no money to pay for flight training, he knew that helping to foster the dream in his son was enough.

Gerald was born in Harare in 1975. His late father, Patterson Chiweshe, was born and lived in Zimbabwe while his mother Gladys, was born and lives in South Africa.

“By the age of three it was evident that I was born with a flying DNA in my veins.

I had an obsession with anything to do with aeroplanes, wings, wheels, shapes, clouds, noises, smells and everything in between. From this very early age my father noticed that I had a growing passion for aeroplanes, so he instructed my mother to no longer speak to me in Zulu and Shona, but instead to only speak to me in English.

I became my father's favorite son as he would take me to the airport in his free time, and we would spend countless hours aeroplane spotting. At first he would stand with me, pointing out all the aircraft, he knew all the different makes, different airlines and their destinations,” Gerald reminisces. “Before he realized it my knowledge had grown so much that it surpassed his because during his beer and bathroom breaks I would have somebody next to me giving me more information about these fascinating aircraft.”