Country’s longest serving pilot retires after 45 years of service

By PETER ESILA
CAPTAIN Paun Nonggor-r, the country’s longest serving pilot, arrived home yesterday on his final flight PX 004 flight from Brisbane, as he retires after 45 years of flying Air Niugini.
The man from the Ramdi tribe of Koepka village, Western Highlands, 65, has clocked 21,000 flying hours.
He was welcomed on his arrival at Jackson airport by Petroleum Minister Kerenga Kua, Air Niugini workers, fellow pilots and families.
“I am a product of the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare’s vision in 1975,” he said.
“Somare wanted Papua New Guineans to be pilots and professionals in their own country. I was too glad to be part of this vision, helped by the Australians.
“I was the first national off the block and have stuck with Air Niugini instead of leaving for more money overseas.”
He had attended the NASA Flying School in Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia in January 1975.
In June 1976, he received his first commercial pilot licence.
He returned home and was assigned to the F27 aircraft as a First Officer.
“In July 1978, I returned to Cessnock to train as an instructor pilot. After qualifying, I taught Australian student pilots at Cessnock.”
He again returned home and worked for Douglas Airways, seconded from Air Niugini, to accumulate his flying hours. After reaching the hours required, he returned to Air Niugini and the F27 aircraft.
In 1982, Nonggor-r became the second Papua New Guinean to become a captain on the F27 aircraft.
Nonggor-r qualified to be a captain on the Fokker Friendship (F27) aircraft in 1982 at the age of 26.
In 1983, he became the first Papua New Guinean to command a passenger jet airliner, the F28.
In 1983, he attained his command on the F28 aircraft, becoming PNG’s first jet aircraft captain.
“I consider this as the greatest achievement/highlight of my career – becoming the country’s first F28 jet captain at a very young age,” he said.
“Flying the F27 and F28 was challenging as they were both analogue aircraft that required a lot of thinking, planning and skills.
“PNG being mountainous with localised weather patterns, can be challenging. However, it was fun, exciting and I enjoyed the thrill of being in the cockpit.”
In 1985, Captain Nonggor-r progressed to flying the wide-body aircraft, beginning with the Airbus A300 for four years.
Later he commanded the Airbus A310, and later the Boeing 767 aircraft, where he became a fully-fledged B737 captain in 2003.
“Although it can be stressful at times, it’s a highly self-discipline and regimented profession,” he said.
“The secret that has kept me flying all these years is fun and passion for the job.”
He loved flying on the larger aircraft, travelling to lots of places in the world.
“You get to experience and learn a lot about what is happening out there and see how the rest of the world works. This kind of practical experience is superior to academics.”
Captain Nonggor-r had a stint as Air Niugini’s general manager flight operations, charged with the management of pilots, cabin crew, and aircraft operations control.
During his 45-year flying career, two incidents stood out.
One was when he was trying to land at Sydney airport in strong winds. He had to abandon the landing.
The flight had to be diverted to Brisbane.
More recently, he was forced to fly the aircraft to Manila alone when the First Officer became unwell.
“Successfully dealing with situations like those are a result of good training, coupled with pilot/crew experience,” he said. He said the only right way to fly an aeroplane was to strictly adhere to the rules and procedures “that our Australian friends taught us”.
“You also have to keep training and keep your standards high,” he said.
“If you allow them to deteriorate, this could lead to accidents. There is no PNG way of flying an aeroplane. Rules and procedures must be adhered to at all times.”
His advice to young, aspiring Papua New Guineans who wish to become pilots is to put discipline and hard work first.
“Any average young Papua New Guinean can be a successful pilot as long as he or she is prepared to put in the time and effort. Not just to become a pilot, but continuous dedication and discipline to remain one.”
He encouraged parents to support their children’s dreams by giving them more time and attention.
“Parents are ultimately responsible for the upbringing of good, capable children.” He has three children – daughter Leilani and sons Jason and Duece who are both pilots.
Jason is a Fokker-100 captain with Air Niugini, attaining his command two years ago.
“I did not push my boys to fly. It’s a decision they made which I supported.
“My attitude is that if they wanted to be garbage collectors, that’s fine, as long as they are happy doing it and doing it well.
“It’s their life, not mine. I only provide parental advice.”
Captain Nonggor-r thanked his wife Anna, an ex-Air Niugini flight attendant, for raising their children while he was always away.
He is also grateful to Air Niugini and the airline employees for supporting his career.
“Air Niugini has been my whole life. On behalf of my family, I would like to thank the Air Niugini family from the domestic ports, the international airports, reservation centres, flight operations, head office, engineering, commercial, catering, traffic, cargo, porters, cleaners, tea boys like Martin and the rest for aiding and supporting me during my time with Air Niugini.”