Bhasin family of India has encountered a century long pilot career with the third generation of the family members currently controlling the throttle. Aviation journey of the family began back in 1954 when Captain Jai Dev Bhasin father of Rohit began his piloting career.
Years later being fascinated by his father profession Rohit too joined piloting school to secure his piloting dream. Nivedita, wife of Rohit along with her children Rohan and Niharika too are proud Aviator of Indian Aviation industry. At present four members of the family led by Grandfather Jai Dev and his second generation, grand children altogether have clocked almost 100 years of cockpit experience.
Captain Jai Dev Bhasin, the grandfather was among the first seven commanders of India during1954. Meanwhile, Nivedita the daughter in-law comes to be amongst the only three women to join him at Indian airlines. Today Rohit and his wife Nivedita are proud parents of two young flight commanders Niharika and Rohan.
Rohit currently at 54years of age reports that flying has always fascinated him from his young age and he also was admired by his father profession which has caused him to join the aviation job.
Whereas, Nivedita recalls her past moments and states that it was my friend’s birthday on 29 June 1984 party when my dad tired of continuously running approached to inform me about my appointment at Indian Airlines. I can still recall the joy and enjoyment I experienced by the appointment news. It’s already been 33 years since the day and I was just 20 years of age back then.
Six years though later being a mother of a child I succeed to become a commander of Boeing 737, and made a record of being the first every lady jet captain in the world. Nivedita also becomes the commander of Airbus A300 the first every wide body aircraft seven years later.
She was also the trendsetter and co-piloted the world’s first ever all-women crew flight in 1985 with a Fokker Friendship aircraft flying from Calcutta to Silchar route.
“As a child, I regularly kept looking at my mom Nivedita while she was getting ready for her work which had fascinated me to dress up like her one day,” says Niharika, 26, who is currently flying Airbus A320 as a commander for IndiGo.
Whenever someone asked me when I choose my aviation aim I simply share my KG class incident “I was appearing for an interview in my new school for KG class where I had introduced myself to be a Captain Rohan Bhasin. Looking at my dad and mom I felt that since they both were captains so I too have to join them one day. Since then I was obsessed about aircraft and piloting job,” says Rohan, elder son of Rohit and Nivedita.
Wings and Extreme Machines on Discovery Channel was Rohan’s favorite TV shows reported his younger sibling Niharika and the books he read were all about various military aircraft, she added. Rohan has now been an Air Indian for 10 years and flies the Boeing 777 as a commander.
Rohit who once desired to be a tea taster wanted his daughter to be a hair dresser.Both Rohit and Nivedita wanted their kids to join different profession apart from the pilot but their genes and their love for aviation result in to be a pilot.
Niharika is too likely to follow up her mother and marry a pilot.
