Aloha, I'm Jayden Hakunti.
From a dream to a direction
I was born in the San Francisco Bay Area and raised in central California. Ever since the age of 4, I wanted to be an airline pilot. My first job came in high school at Livermore Airport (LVK), where I worked as a rampie of sorts — cleaning planes and hangars in exchange for flying lessons. That's where aviation stopped being a dream and became a direction. I studied Aeronautical Science, Aeronautics, and Business Administration at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and earned my commercial pilot's certificate at Lift Academy.
Every level of the operation
The path toward being a career pilot meant I was going to have a career doing everything but being a pilot — so along the way I also earned my mortgage loan originator's license, my real estate license, and a CDL-B for motorcoach buses. My aviation industry background spans over fifteen years and every level of the operation. I began on the ground — as a rampie at LVK; a ramp agent then customer service agent at SJC; as a cargo agent at SFO, where I executed weight and balance plans, managed freight buildup, and coordinated daily aircraft catering and crew logistics. I moved through FBO line service at SCK airport, and airport management at SQL & HAF. I supervised ramp operations at SBP. In TYQ, I operated in a dual capacity: as a pilot flying Cessna 172N and Cessna 421C Golden Eagle on multi-state business flights transporting company principals for property visitations, and managing commercial leases, vendor relationships, aerial photography, Matterport telemetric scans, and bilingual/translative client communications in English and Spanish. Most recently I served as a flight attendant embedded in daily Part 121 operations. Today I hold 442 total hours, 292 pilot-in-command, with multiengine, instrument, and complex time across five airframes including the Cessna 421C Golden Eagle and the Diamond DA42-VI.
Why Hawaiʻi
I moved to Hawaiʻi after visiting for my birthday and falling in love with the atmosphere. It is truly the best place to be able to call home in all the United States — and I have been through 40+ states. For the last two years, home has been Ward Village in Kakaʻako. Caring for the ʻāina, the importance of ʻohana, and a daily emphasis on aloha and mālama pono ʻāina (forgive my ʻŌlelo) are all values that keep me present and mindful — throughout life.
My history in frames
