Cover photo: The Gautam family in Hawaii getting ready for a helicopter ride. From left to right, Rohit’s mother Kamlesh, daughters Arya and Anika, Rohit and his wife Shreeya. (Photo courtesy of Rohit Gautam)Maybe you’ve heard this before; the pandemic was a blessing in disguise.

When Pilot Trainee Rohit Gautam got the news that his flight training would be postponed due to the pandemic, he felt like his life’s passion was taken from him. Like a lot of us, he found himself at home with his family — to Rohit, this was a “blessing in disguise.”

“Although I was pulled away from doing what I love, I got the opportunity to stay with my family and watch my two girls while my wife studied to finish her accounting degree,” said Rohit.

While he wasn’t able to attend flight training, he still had his travel privileges available to take free trips with his family. A perfect opportunity for an adventurous family like the Gautams who love soaking in every new experience and learning from every new place they encounter. 

“We’re a travel family,” said Rohit. “I feel we learn a lot by seeing the world. Having the opportunity for my kids to learn about different places and cultures is important to me.”

Life as a pilot? No doubt.

Born in India, Rohit came to the U.S. in 2005 when he was just 18 years old. He served the Oklahoma City community as a police officer for five years before turning his focus toward aviation.

A few years prior, as a gift to her son, Rohit’s mother bought him a discovery flight on a Cessna 172. After that first flight, Rohit said to himself, “no doubt this is what I want to do.” 

Rohit gained his hours flying cargo and private jets before interviewing with Envoy to become a First Officer in 2019. In 2020, Rohit was nearly finished with his flight training when the pandemic hit and he would have to stay home.

…but not for long.

Once travel picked back up, Rohit and his family hit the skies to take advantage of their time together. With his wife, two young girls and mother at his side, Rohit and his family were able to visit magical Hawaii. 

They enjoyed hikes, tours of fruit farms and a helicopter ride to see the island from above. On the way back home to Oklahoma, they took a bonus, detour trip to Salt Lake City for hiking around The Great Arches National Park. 

The entire family had an amazing time, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Envoy travel privileges, Rohit said. But it wasn’t until he noticed his mother’s sheer joy sitting in First Class that Rohit knew he had made his mother proud. 

“She loves me and is very proud that I work for such a big airline,” said Rohit. “And that one day, I’ll get to fly so many people safely and make sure they reach their destination on time.”

Starting this month, Rohit is back at Envoy’s training center getting back in the groove of things and he couldn’t be happier. 

“It’s the best feeling to finally have a class date and go back to doing what I love,” said Rohit. 

Now that he is back in training, that doesn’t mean that the fun has to stop for Rohit and his family. On to the next adventure at Envoy!