Azul Linhas Aéreas s and motivates the careers of its pilots, from start to finish, whether through career development programs and internal promotions, or by paying tribute to those who took off with the company from the very first flights.
This is the case of veteran pilot Renato Mello, 71, who was carrying out a routine of training sessions for current pilots and those recently hired using Azul's flight simulators installed at the Viracopos Training Center, Campinas. With a career spanning 49 years in Aviation, 16 of which dedicated to Azul, being responsible for commanding the airline's first flights, the Rio Grande do Sul native and eternal commander officially ended his career at the beginning of the year, with a surprise tribute, which was applauded by colleagues, friends and family, in his last flight instruction class.
The flights to be taken now will be different, but the Gaucho, father of two women and grandfather of two grandchildren, Pietro and Santiago (8 and 4 years old, respectively), will always have lessons to teach young pilots. His trajectory and experiences are intertwined with the history of Aviation in the country itself – and this knowledge is valued by all those ionate about the sector.
So much so that Azul made clear its honor of always being able to call him Crew Member and Commander, by giving Renato Mello a plaque and a model of an airplane, symbolizing this gratitude.
“I believed in this project from the very first day of my 16-year journey at Azul. And, driven by my ion for aviation, I accepted the challenge of ing the company from the very beginning. Over the years, I have had the pleasure and privilege of working alongside dedicated and talented professionals who have become more than just colleagues; they have become a true family. Together, we have overcome challenges, celebrated victories and built something extraordinarily meaningful. I take with me the memories, the unforgettable moments and the satisfaction of having contributed to the success of this company that I have always believed in,” said an emotional Mello, along with his family and friends, thanking them for having been part of Azul’s history.
And he doesn't mention his performance in the first chapters of Azul just as a figure of speech. Mello, in fact, was a protagonist and was on the Crew that boarded Azul even when the company didn't have any aircraft yet. In 2008, until then, he only had experience flying Boeings, and he had to prepare to fly the company's first aircraft, which was an Embraer.
*The friend, the brother, the father and the grandfather who strengthened the Commander*
“I don’t have anyone in my family with a history in aviation who could have inspired me, but I how happy I was when my father took me to the airport. I have ed this ion of mine since I was a child,” says Renato Mello, unaware that, in the opinion of his brother Gerson, his daughters Renata and Júlia and his friend, Commander Mauro Piazza, he is the one who has been an inspiration in everyone’s life.
His daughter Renata, who is also the mother of Renato Mello's two grandchildren, reveals that her youngest son, aged 4, may be the only one to follow suit and reinforce the family tradition in the sector. “Pietro, the oldest, has already decided that he wants to be a football player, but Santiago, who only had the experience of being with his grandmother in a flight simulator, told me that he wants to be a pilot,” she explains.
She, who has a degree in Advertising and Marketing, and, together with her sister Júlia, who lives outside Brazil and pursued a career as a geographer, were not inspired by their father professionally. But they highlight – and have always highlighted – other inspiring skills and qualities in Renato Mello outside of commanding an aircraft or taking simulator classes.
Renato Mello is a “modern grandfather. He also drives a speedboat, is a diver, speaks fluent English and is very active and lively. “He even spent Carnival with me in Salvador”, reveals Renata, who is the eldest daughter.
She also tells of a unique moment in her adolescence – when she came to her father’s defense and it was quite a compliment. During a flight commanded by her father, Renata was sitting next to the philosopher and writer Mario Sergio Cortella – who wasn’t even that famous at the time. And she calmed him down during turbulence. Cortella is said to have asked if Renata wasn’t scared. “No, because the pilot is my father,” she replied, effectively calming the philosopher.
Another compliment that the daughters give to their father – and that he probably doesn't know, because, like every pilot, he has to be absent from many family moments – is how present he was, as a father and in his role as mother.
Renato lost his wife in 2011 and his daughters emphasize that he made up for their mother's absence as best he could. “He always found a way to be present,” Renata emphasizes.
Gerson, the commander's brother, who was present at the farewell ceremony at Azul, is also inspired by Renato Mello's professionalism and is certain that it was this attitude and dedication that always led him to receive work invitations and build long and successful careers in each company and organization he worked for.
Finally, his friend and pilot Mauro Piazza made a point of including Renato's skill as a barbecue chef in his memories, but he also wanted to highlight the lessons and the example that his colleague left in almost five decades of work in national aviation – from his time as an executive pilot to his flights as a captain for the main airlines, such as, in that order, RioSul, Varig, VRG/Gol and Azul.
“Renato is very dear to his friends and is known for his seriousness and dedication as a pilot. He has extensive experience in aviation and leaves a legacy of teaching to the younger generation and of companionship to the countless colleagues he has worked with,” he added.
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