Father, son flying jets for Air Niugini

The family is from the Koepka Ramdi tribe of Koepka in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands.
Captain Paun has been with Air Niugini for 44 years. Since 1985, he had been flying the big Boeing 767, Airbus 310 and Airbus 300 jets on international routes. Captain Paun, 63, started his training in January 1975 in Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia.
He joined Air Niugini in June 1975 as a cadet pilot.
Captain Paun is also a former general manager of Flight Operations at Air Niugini. He is also a qualified flight instructor.
He said of his son: “A lot of hard-work, commitment and discipline is required to become a pilot. Jason has reached a milestone in aviation from being a pilot to becoming a fully-fledged Fokker F100 Captain. His families from Mt Hagen and his mother Anne’s people from Wuvulu Island, Manus are proud of his achievement.”
He recalled asking Jason after he completed high school what he wanted to do in life. His answer was to be a pilot.
“Having been through and knowing the rigors of making it as a pilot myself, I had no doubt that Jason possessed the attributes to be successful as he understood what was involved in making it as a pilot. Now Jason has the necessary experience to pilot any aircraft in the aviation world.”

 To have achieved this with the national airline where my father is considered a pioneer of aviation in PNG gives me a sense of great pride – myself, my family, Air Niugini and the country.”

Jason said it was a great personal achievement and the result of diligence, determination and dedication.
“To have achieved this with the national airline where my father is considered a pioneer of aviation in PNG gives me a sense of great pride – myself, my family, Air Niugini and the country. My earliest childhood memories are that of watching my father command the Airbus A310 aircraft from the jump-seat which further increased my fascination about aviation and inspired me to become a pilot.”
Jason, 30, is the second of three siblings. He flew with PNG Air for seven years as a Dash-8 captain after attending training in Archerfield, Brisbane paid for by his dad. He joined Air Niugini three years ago as First Officer on the Fokker-100.
Captain Paun thanks his wife Anne for raising their three children.
“She basically brought the kids up on her own as I have been away most of the time. But I made sure I had quality time with them when home.”
He thanks Air Niugini for employing him and his son.
Jason added: “It would be an incredible milestone and humbling experience to one day operate the Boeing 767 alongside my father.”