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Welcome Aboard airBaltic
CREW
CREW HOT SPOTS
Baltic Outlook introduces you to
some of the most important people at
airBaltic – its flight crew members
THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING
HOW IT ALL
BEGAN
I have been associated with
aviation since my childhood,
because my father flew as an
Aeroflot pilot for 30 years, and
my mother was a flight attendant
service dispatcher. At the age of
four, I watched my dad conduct
training flights at Riga’s Spilve
Airport. That was an intense
experience for me.
After graduating from high
school, I entered the Riga
Technical University, because at
that time it was not possible to
obtain a pilot’s licence in Latvia.
One had to go to Russia, and I
wasn’t ready to do that. A couple
of years after I began my university
studies, Latvia regained its
independence, and I joined a group
of 28 students who began training
to become airline pilots. Five years
later, following all kinds of hurdles
and difficulties, I officially became
a qualified pilot and aviation
engineer. That was followed by
two years of service at the Latvian
National Armed Forces’ air base in
Lielvārde as a helicopter pilot.
I joined airBaltic in 1998 as a
first officer on SAAB 340 planes.
Then I flew AVRO 70 aircraft. In
2004, I became a captain of Fokker
50 planes. These were followed
by Boeing 737s and now, the
Bombardier CS300.
I’m proud that my oldest
son has also obtained an Airline
Transport Pilot License (ATPL)
and is ready to begin work as a
professional pilot.
HOBBIES
I enjoy cycling and
swimming in the summer,
and I play volleyball both
in the summer and in the
winter. I’m also interested
in astronomy.
LAST
DESTINATION
FLOWN
TO AS A
PASSENGER
To Prague, as a tourist.
It is one of Europe’s
most beautiful capital
cities, with an illustrious
history and beautiful
architecture.
BEST THING
ABOUT BEING
A PILOT
I have never thought of
changing my profession. I
am in the right place and
doing what I love to do.
It really is a gift from God
when your work can also
be your hobby.
Text by ILZE POLE
Photos courtesy of
ĒRIKS SADIKOVS
Ēriks Sadikovs (44, from Latvia),
captain of CS300 aircraft
Hours flown: 13,200
THREE THINGS
THAT I NEVER
LEAVE HOME
WITHOUT
My ID, cellular phone and a
good mood.
FAVOURITE
RESTAURANT
32.augusts restaurant in
Mārupe. It’s not far from
my house, has a nice
atmosphere and offers good
food. However, I’m even
fonder of home cooking,
which is why my favourite
meals of all are cooked at
home.
FAVOURITE
BOOK
I enjoy reading different
genres. I liked Dan Brown’s
Inferno and Michael Talbot’s
The Holographic Universe.
SNAPSHOT
TO SHARE
Some of my most
memorable trips have
been to and from
the small mountain
kingdom of Bhutan.
I took this photo in
2002, during a flight
from Paro Airport to
Delhi, India’s capital.
The world’s highest
peaks, including
Mount Everest, are
not very far away.
THINGS
THAT MIGHT
SURPRISE A
PASSENGER
WHO STEPS
INTO THE
COCKPIT
Up until now, people were
usually surprised at the large
number of buttons and dials.
Now, in a CS300, they’d be
surprised at the modern and
state-of-the art equipment.
FAVOURITE
RUNWAY
I won’t be original here. It’s
Riga. After all, there’s no
place like home!
1. Flight attendant
SINTIJA ČERNE
joined airBaltic four
years ago. She loves
to visit the cockpit,
which provides
beautiful views of the
Earth below.
2. Sintija enjoys taking
long walks outdoors in
the company of good
friends, regardless of
the weather, tea mug
in hand.
3. Sintija visited Dubai
for the first time last
February. She spent
most of her holiday
on the beach and
brought back beautiful
seashells as souvenirs
for her loved ones.
4. During a stopover in
Milan, Sintija climbed
a staircase all the way
up to the top of the
Duomo cathedral.
5. Senior cabin
crew member
IVO ERHARDS on
one of the first flights
with airBaltic’s new
Bombardier CS300.
This is the fifth aircraft
model on which he
has worked.
6. Ivo has been
cycling since his
childhood, but
became seriously
involved with the
sport four years ago.
Last November, he
cycled 490 kilometres
through Cyprus in
five days.
7. Ivo has cycled
through many
European countries,
and Cyprus is the
most bicycle-friendly
nation that he has
visited, with good
roads and relatively
little traffic. He plans
to return there soon.
8. Senior cabin
crew member
BAIBA SABAJEVA
is passionate
about Spain and
flamenco dancing.
1
4
7
9
2
3
5 6
8
10
Text by ILZE VĪTOLA
Photos courtesy of
SINTIJA ČERNE, IVO ERHARDS
and BAIBA SABAJEVA
10
PLACES
PICKED BY
OUR FLIGHT
ATTENDANTS
airBaltic’s cabin
crew members
introduce you to
their favourite
places in
the world.
9. Baiba has been flamenco
dancing for the past three
years and has learned how
to speak Spanish quite well.
She brings her flamenco
shoes and castanets
along on work trips and
practices flamenco dance
routines in her hotel room
during layovers.
10. Baiba (centre) together
with her colleagues at the
Palermo airport.
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BALTIC OUTLOOK | JANUARY 2017 | 95