PX signs on pilot cadet

Daniel Jack signing documents to confirm his cadetship with Air Niugini.

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, October 16, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

AIR Niugini (ANG) continued its pilot cadet program this week, in partnership with the District of Sinasina Yongomugl, by signing 26 year old Daniel Jack to undergo pilot training under the flag carrier in New Zealand.

Present at the official singing of the new cadet, Member for Sinasina Yongomugl, Kerenga Kua and ANG Executive Manager, Flight Operations, Capt Samiv Taufa were on hand for the occasion.

Mr Taufa said that Mr Jack had met ANG’s strict requirements and would join the rest of the airlines pilot cadet to travel to New Zealand for the 18 month training course at Nelson Aviation School.

He also thanked Mr Kua for the assistance of the District to share the cost of training and all associated costs for the one and a half year duration.

“We are very grateful to Mr Kua through his funds from his electorate in assisting to sponsor young Daniel in our program, in successful completion of flying school, young Daniel will be given that opportunity to join Air Niugini Limited as one of our pilots,” Taufa said.

“In ANG’s vision moving forward we are the national carrier, we are here for the people of PNG proud of all our workers- we are the largest investors in training in Papua New Guinea, K20 million a year in our ground staff and pilots.”

“The costs will be tied directly or indirectly to the training will be shared by both Air Niugini and the District.”

“The total cost itself to train a pilot is NZ$120,000 that is the school itself- apart from the other costs for accommodation and others.”

With the cadetship partnership between the district and ANG in its 3 year- two other cadets have gone before Jack with mixed results thus far under what is a stringent and demanding course to maintain the high standards that the airline maintains.

“Two other before Daniel, the first young lady she got to a stage where she could not contniue. From an ANG perspective for us to maintain our standards she could not continue with the programs so we unfortunately had to release her- the second young gentlemen is now down at Coffs Habour and he is doing very well, young Daniel will go down and start with all our other cadets,” he said.

“In the past we have released cadets from flying school- the young lady was not an unusual case, if you do not fit our criteria then you do not continue. Out safety is extremely high- we operate in a very challenging environment in PNG and it is a very unique environment and maintaining that level of safety is important.”

MP Kua said the rationale behind the support that the district government putting towards training professionals was not just one of the creation of flying pilots, but was one of inspiration to the young generation of his province to dream big.

“We are not doing it simply for the purposes of promoting a young man in the aviation industry as a pilot with the assistance of Air Niugini, but is also a bigger message which is to use young people like Jack here to inspire our other younger children in the district to aspire, to do a more and achieve a lot more and bring out full potential in their lives,” Mr Kua said.

“They need somebody to be flown as a flag, in front of them as a role model to demonstrate that certain things they thought before was not possible are possible.”

“We are doing it simply for that purpose- we want to motivate thousands of young Sinasina Yongomugl children to reach out and build up a lot of professionals for the country. Every district has that responsibility and we also recognise that we also needed to contribute.”

Capt Taufa said the current ratio of local pilots to expatriates was 55% locals to 45% expatriates at the moment, but he also elaborated that competency was a major factor for pilots to fly under the airline irrespective of nationality.