Sen. Paul Manglona, R-Rota, hopes Francisco Sasakura Mendiola’s accomplishments will inspire other locals.
Manglona sponsored Senate Resolution 16-24 for Mendiola, who is from Rota.
Mendiola, 50, is married to Judy Y. Mendiola and they have a son, Shaun.
After completing his high school on Guam, Mendiola received his associate of science degree in refrigeration and air-conditioning technology in 1982 in Hawaii.
He later worked as an air-conditioning and heat pump serviceman and electrician apprentice for the Central Pacific Ecology Resources in Honolulu for three years and later became an application engineer foreman.
He completed additional educational training and courses, including a private pilot certificate from the Associated Aviation Activities in Hawaii, the Hawaii Country Club of the Air, and the Honolulu Air Route Traffic Control Center.
In 1986, he became a first officer and captain on a DeHavilland Twin Otter that flew scheduled and chartered flights throughout Guam and the Northern Marianas for Maui Airlines.
More than a year later, he became the captain of a Panorama Air Tour Twin Piper Chieftain/Navajo which served tourists around the Hawaiian islands.
In 1992, Mendiola transferred to Hawaiian Airlines.
Throughout his long aviation career, Mendiola accumulated more than 19,000 hours of total flight time and is now a certified airline transport pilot and flight engineer for airplane types Embraer EMB-110, Shorts SD-3, Boeing B757 and B767 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10.
Manglona said Mendiola is also a good citizen who volunteers his time flying search and rescue missions for missing boaters in the CNMI and Guam.
