“I didn’t want a 9 to 5 job. I wanted to do something hands-on and challenging for a living, so I thought why not become a pilot,” says Sadaf Imani, a 22-year-old graduate from the University of Oklahoma and now a pilot at Envoy’s Cadet Program. She considers this job to be one of the most exciting and rewarding in the world that also doesn’t require an office. Her office is in the skies.
The younger of two sisters, Sadaf is from Iran. She and her family immigrated to the United States in 2007 when they set foot in California. She didn’t speak English, and she was just 11 years old. It was a difficult time for her: new country, new school, new friends, new language and new culture. All the changes came at the same time, but she now realizes that “those circumstances helped me become who I am today.”
Becoming a pilot didn’t happen by chance. “My dad always wanted to become a pilot himself, as well as my grandfather. I think somehow that desire was passed on to me, but they never pressured me to do this. I was always fascinated by airplanes,” says Sadaf. “My father is excited and proud. He is vicariously living through my experiences.”
While in college, Sadaf participated in an internship program at American Airlines. She loved it. She was able to see the pilot world first-hand, meet new people and fall in love with the profession that she’s about to launch for herself. She is currently an Envoy employee working as a flight instructor at the University of Oklahoma Aviation Department building flight hours. “I’m a check instructor and a professor in the skies,” says a proud Imani.
Out of the available Cadet Programs, Sadaf chose Envoy. “The training program is great, and I know a lot of pilots that I met during my internship that had come from Envoy to American. Their advice and words of encouragement validated my decision to apply to Envoy.”
The future for Sadaf is sky clear. Once she completes her hours, she’ll start flying for Envoy and eventually fly for American one day. Who knows, she may share the cockpit with one of those pilots who were an example to her while she was a part of the internship program.
If you’re interested in following Sadaf’s footsteps and want more information on the Cadet Program and application requirements visit envoyair.com/cadet or contact Envoy Pilot Recruitment at 972-374-5607 or envoypilotrecruitment@aa.com. ACN
