BY JOAN BAILEY
People from Kabwum district of Morobe Province have described North Coast Aviation’s late pilot David Thong as friendly, special and skillful.
Fiwa Business Group (FBG) member Jerry Polly from Ogerenang village in Burum-Kuat LLG of Finschhafen district said Thong and captain Thomas Keindip worked with dedication to serve and unite the rural communities of Morobe.
“However, their passing has saddened us and we are still mourning their passing because they are more than pilots to us,” Mr Polly said.
He said the pilots worked well with the locals and despite bad weather conditions; they always transported their passengers safely to their destinations.
Mr Polly is in Lae this week to get supplies for the FBG tradestore.
“There will be no more flights with Thong and we surely will miss their talented aviation skills that always get us home safely,” he said.
He said the people depend on NCA planes to transport goods and passengers because going by road via a road link connecting Burum/Kuat from Finschhafen is expensive.
He said they must have more than K500 if they choose to travel by sea to Gagidu in Finschhafen and then by road.
Mr Polly said people use NCA because it is the best option though it is expensive.
He said they pay K310 a passenger and K4.60 a kilogram for cargoes which is still expensive but is the only option for them.
“Supplies for health centres and schools reach Ogerenang by air and that is why we still struggle to face tomorrow,” he said.
NCA flight operations manager Geoff Thiele said Thong’s passing has left NCA with only three pilots.
Captain Keindip, also an NCA pilot, passed away last month.