Author Description

"Best of Paradise is a selection of stories from various issues of Air Niugini's in-flight magazine, Paradise. The first issue appeared on July 1st 1976 to introduce the airline's passengers to Papua New Guinea. It is fitting that the national airline undertook such a task because nowhere in the world does a population depend so much on air transportation as in Papua New Guinea. Geographically this is a rugged country with high mountains, thick jungles, swampy river plains, isolated tropical islands and treacherous coral reefs. The population of just over 3 million share 717 languages - 45 per cent of the world's total - each representing a different set of cultural values and customs. It was the aeroplane that broke down geographical and social barriers and paved the way for economic development and independence. When Papua New Guinea's economy was learning to walk it soonbecame obvious that it would have to fly. That was back in the gold rush days of the twenties when Air Niugini's ancestors took to the air. Soon pioneer aviators had set never to be beaten records, some of which are in this book. In the years that have rolled by since those wing and a prayer days Papua New Guinea has achieved a record of air safety and effectiveness of which its people can be proud. Best of Paradise has been published just five years after Air Niugini took to the air in its own name." --Flyleaf.