Alex Hwang
FOR most kids growing up on CNMI, becoming a pilot seems like a far-fetched dream. However, 23-year-old Alex Hwang’s dream has become a reality as the first local pilot to fly for Star Marianas Air in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
Born and raised on the island of Saipan, Alex spent his childhood in the village of Susupe, graduating from the now-closed Marianas Baptist Academy. Like many islanders, he was always captivated by the planes soaring overhead, seeing them as a gateway to the world beyond the horizons that encircled his home.
“As a kid, I was fascinated by flight because it was the only way for us to really see what was out there,” Alex recalls. “Watching those planes take off and disappear into the clouds started it all.”
However, Alex’s path to the cockpit was initially a different flight plan. He first embarked on flight training by chance, never imagining that his childhood dream of roaring engines would one day propel him into an aviator’s boots.
After completing his training at ATP Flight School, Alex returned to Saipan with his newly minted pilot’s license in hand. That is when the stars aligned, and he was hired by Star Marianas Air, the same airline he flew on as a starry-eyed passenger in his youth.
“It’s a great feeling to be back home, building my flight hours with the airline I grew up traveling with,” Alex marvels. “I never could have dreamed that those childhood flights would eventually lead me to the other side of the cockpit door.”
For Alex, flying for the local airline is uniquely rewarding. Unlike his previous job as a flight instructor, he now can operate passenger flights, forging connections with the island communities he serves.
“It’s a completely different experience from instructing,” he explains. “Since I’m now part of a much bigger operation, helping to ferry locals and visitors between our islands, all while logging the hours I need to advance my career.
As the CNMI’s first local pilot for Star Marianas Air, Alex hopes his journey will inspire other young islanders to pursue their aviation dreams, whether training in nearby Guam or attending flight schools in the mainland United States.
“To other kids who share my passion for flying, I say go for it!” Alex encourages. “It’s a gratifying career that allows you to stay connected to these islands we call home while exploring the world.”
At 23 years old, the sky is the limit for this homegrown aviator. Alex Hwang is soaring as his wings grow stronger with each flight as a role model for a new generation of island pilots.
