Meet Hector Torres

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Hector Torres. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Hector below.

Hi Hector, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

Several people have played a role.

My mother, she raised my brother and I as a single mom and in spite of the many challenges she faced, she did an amazing job and never gave up. She taught us to always keep going and find a way to succeed.

My late brother. He was diagnosed with a very rare type of cancer at age 34 and unfortunately passed at age 44, however, he never complained and battled until the very end. I simply do not have any reason to not continue pursuing goals and live a purposeful life.

My high school outreach counselor. He believed in me, even when I did not, and would always tell me I was capable of reaching any goals I would set my mind to. We became very good friends and he would always have time to talk to me and encourage me, even after being diagnosed with a rare type of kidney disease that would eventually claim his life. His passing left a huge void in my life, I am forever grateful for his love and dedication to his job and his students.

My wife. She left Mexico at age 14 and had to raise her younger brother, at 14 she had more responsibility than most adults and she did an amazing job. She is an amazing woman and I am honored and lucky to call her my wife.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I moved to San Diego from my native Puerto Rico in 1989 at the age of 13. It was a huge change, I had to learn a new language and culture. During my first year in junior high school, I had to attend bilingual classes while learning English as a second language. I wanted to “fit in” and I think that gave me the motivation to learn English quick and by 10th grade I was in all-English classes. I am very proud of this accomplishment.

Unfortunately, I did not care enough about my academic work in high school and I did not attend college right away. Eventually, I returned to community college and earned IT certifications and in 2001 I landed my first IT job. In 2007 I decided to return to school and in 20011 I earned my bachelor’s degree, graduating Magna Cum Laude. I have worked in the IT industry for over 23 years, the last 10 in management. I have done it all, IT Support, development, network management…but my true passion has always been aviation.

In 2016 I decided to pursue my dream to learn to fly and in 2017 I earned my private pilot certificate; however, I did not want to stop there. In 2019 I earned my instrument rating, followed by my commercial pilot certificate in 2020. In 2022, at the urging of several pilot friends, I earned my flight instructor certificate and I have been instructing part-time since. In October of 2023, I earned my multi-engine rating because I wanted to fly faster and more complex aircraft.

In December, as we were getting ready to roll out a new IT system at work, I had one of those moments where I asked myself if this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my professional career. I simply could not get the thought of becoming an airline pilot out of my head. After consulting with my wife and many people I trust, I decided to make the move at age 48! I applied in December for the largest regional airline in the US. A few days after my interview I was offered a position as a First Officer. I am scheduled to start training in June and while I won’t deny that I am scared, this is what I have been wanting to do since I was 5 years old. To get a chance at my age and at this point in my life, I just simply can’t let it get away. Often times I go back to my very first flight when I was 5 and the same feeling of excitement returns; I use it as motivation to continue my journey. I know how fortunate I am to be able to pursue my true passion, not many get to do what they love.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Passion – love what you do, if you go to bed thinking about something, chances are this is your passion. Find ways to nourish this and find individuals that can help you navigate through the journey. It can be intimidating and plain scary to pursue your passion…but in the end, it’s your life and you should decide how your life story develops.

Perseverance – it’s easy to give up, anyone can do that, but those who persevere reap the rewards of their hard work. This is sometimes easier said than done, but if you push through, chances are you will be successful in your endeavors.

Humility – this is often overlooked; I think humility has played a critical role for me since the start of my journey. No matter how successful we may be, we can always look back and see someone else’s fingerprints all over our journey. We should always be grateful for those who have invested time and effort in us; and just as importantly, we must pay it forward. Always be willing to lend a hand and never forget where we have been. This is true in aviation, as it is in life.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

This is a very good and important question because if we’re honest with ourselves, I think we all are facing some sort of challenge and it can be debilitating if we don’t take action. For me, and this may come as a surprise, is self-confidence. If I look back at my journey, starting with moving to San Diego, I see someone that has persevered through many challenges and has come out on top. Yet, I am still scared of what is ahead. I think it’s mainly because I love my family so much that the fear of failing, and what that would mean to them, scares me.

To overcome this, I am seeking the advice of people that know me and that I trust. They remind me of my past challenges and how I overcame them. I am also watching videos (TED Talks) and reading books or motivational articles on overcoming self-doubt. During times like these is when I miss my brother and my mentor the most. They always had a way to cheer me up and motivate me and made me believe in myself.

My wife and kids also help me, and this is key as I get closer to starting my journey towards the airlines. They often remind me that “we’re going to be ok” and those words, as trivial as they may sound, bring along tranquility and peace of mind.

Contact Info:

• Other: As of this moment, I do not have any official pages I can share. I have my personal social media profiles but I do not wish to share those as they are relevant. However, one of my future goals is to set up some sort of social platform to help others pursue their passion for flying, or even becoming a professional pilot.

Image Credits

All pictures taken by me or using my phone/camera at my request.