How the UAE helped this Mexican pilot build a life across generations

Dubai: When Oscar Leonardo Ocampo Samperio moved from Mexico to Dubai in 2006, he expected a new chapter in his aviation career. He did not know that two decades later, the UAE would become such an important part of his family’s story.

Born in Mexico City, the 65-year-old aviation professional has spent 40 years in commercial aviation, clocking 26,285 flight hours. His career has taken him across continents, but it is the life he has built in the UAE that he considers among his greatest achievements.

“I arrived in Dubai in 2006 and twenty years later, I look back with enormous gratitude for the opportunities, friendships, and memories this country has given me and my family,” Samperio told Gulf News.

What has started as a professional opportunity gradually became something more enduring, a place to belong, raise a family, and build connections that would extend across generations.

“Mexico will always be where our roots are, but the UAE has become home.”

A new beginning in Dubai

Samperio’s journey into aviation has begun with flight training in Phoenix, Arizona. After years of building his career, an opportunity to join Emirates has brought him to Dubai in 2006.

At the time, the UAE has been emerging as a major international aviation centre. But beyond the professional prospects, he has found a country that offered his family stability, security, and the opportunity to plan for the future.

He has spent nearly 15 years with Emirates before continuing his career with Dubai-based cargo airline SolitAir. Over time, however, his reasons for staying has been personal.

“Dubai offered us stability, security, and a sense of belonging. It was a place where people from completely different backgrounds could come together, build careers, raise families, and plan for the future,” shared Samperio.

For him, the biggest change has been realising that moving abroad was not simply about adapting to a new job. It has been about creating a life in a place far from his birthplace.

Finding home without losing his roots

Settling in another country has come with challenges, even for someone whose profession involves travelling around the world.

Samperio has noted that there is a difference between visiting a country for work and making it home. Building friendships, understanding a new culture, and finding a sense of belonging all take time.

His experience in aviation has given him a unique perspective on the UAE’s multicultural society. He has worked alongside colleagues of various nationalities, religions, and backgrounds, all bringing their experience together towards a common goal.

“The UAE has shown me that diversity is not simply something to accommodate; it is something from which we can learn and grow,” stated Samperio.

The experience has taught him that embracing a new home does not mean abandoning one’s identity. His family has remained proud of its Mexican heritage while respecting and embracing the culture and traditions of the UAE.

A family across borders

Today, Samperio’s family is spread across several countries and generations, but Dubai has continued to be an important meeting point.

His children have followed their own paths. His eldest son, for instance, has become a Boeing 767 pilot and now lives in the Netherlands with his family.

For Samperio, watching his children build independent lives has been a source of immense pride. The UAE has given the family a place to return to, regardless of where their individual journeys have taken them. 

His grandchildren, too, have a connection to the country. Dubai is not simply where their grandfather worked, it is part of their family history.

“What is remarkable about this country is that people arrive looking for professional opportunities, but often discover that they are building something that will last far beyond their own careers,” exclaimed Samperio.

Passing on a lifetime of lessons

After 40 years in aviation, Samperio has been preparing for a new chapter. Having recently retired from the cockpit, he has hoped to focus more on training, mentoring, and helping develop the next generation of aviation professionals.

Throughout his career, he has worked as an instructor, examiner, and training manager, supporting pilots as they develop the knowledge, skills, and judgment needed to operate safely.

For Samperio, being a good aviation professional involves more than technical expertise. It also means understanding colleagues, communicating openly, and recognising when someone needs support.

He has encouraged a culture where asking for help is seen as a sign of professionalism, not weakness.

“Sometimes helping a colleague simply means listening without judgment, recognising when someone is struggling or encouraging them to seek appropriate support,” explained Samperio.

Sharing experience has been a meaningful way to give back to an industry and a country that have given his family so much.

“If my experience can help someone become a safer pilot, a better colleague, or a more thoughtful leader, then those 40 years in aviation will continue to have value long after my final flight.”

His message to newcomers

For those building a life away from their home country, Samperio has reminded to never forget your roots, but do not be afraid to make somewhere new your home.

He has encouraged newcomers to respect the culture of the country that welcomes them, remain curious about the people around them, and make the most of the opportunities they receive.

There will be sacrifices and moments of missing home but there will also be friendships and experiences that can shape a lifetime.

His most important advice is to remember that professional success should never come at the expense of personal happiness.

“Don't become so busy building a career that you forget to build a life,” said Samperio.

After 26,285 hours in the sky, he has learned that some of life’s most important journeys happen away from the cockpit.

Mexico will always be his roots. Dubai, meanwhile, has become part of who he is. And as he looks towards mentoring a new generation, he leaves behind a thought that reflects both his career and his life in the UAE, “You don't have to be sitting in the cockpit to help someone else reach new heights.”