Baltic Outlook introduces you to some of the most important people at airBaltic – its flight crew members, who have some of the most interesting hobbies.
Maksis Gustavs Auziņš (24), First Officer on Airbus A220-300 aircraft, from Latvia
HOBBY
Maksis Gustavs Auziņš has ridden bicycles since he was a young child. He learned to ride a bicycle in the yard by his home so long ago that he doesn’t even remember how old he was. And he still rides today, in various amateur bicycle rides and tours but also to work on days when he doesn’t have to bring along a suitcase for longer flights abroad. In fact, Maksis has never owned a car; he’s never needed one. He also specifically chose to live along the route of bus no. 22, which runs between the airport and the city centre of Riga.
‘This bicycle is ideal for riding on gravel roads,’ Maksis explains. ‘Before this one, I had a fixie with very narrow tires for riding around the city, but it was hard to ride it outside the city, so I’ve now turned more to off-road bicycles.’
One of the events Maksis enjoys are the night rides in Riga, which are organised by the local Night Ride Riga bicycle community. ‘We meet by the Dailes Theatre every Friday night at 10 p.m., and then we decide which direction to ride in,’ Maksis explains. ‘For example, towards Sigulda…or perhaps in the other direction, towards Jūrmala and Sloka. The number of bicycle riders participating varies, but it’s usually around 30 to 50 people. The whole event is a little extreme, but it’s actually a lot of fun.’
Another event Maksis participates in is the annual Critical Mass Bike Ride, which takes place once a year in Riga and is very popular, with about a thousand cyclists taking part. The idea is to show that cyclists have a place in the city, too. ‘I’ve always been in favour of cycling and pedestrian rights in the city. But our Riga is currently still a very car-based city,’ he says.
The craziest ride Maksis has been on was the 135-kilometre ride from Riga to Ķegums and back. And all because the local bike shop in the Āgenskalns neighbourhood where he lives had announced an advertising campaign: ride 100 kilometres and get a free coffee! ‘So a friend and I did it together for fun,’ Maksis laughs. ‘The shop organises a 100-kilometre challenge like that every now and then.’
Maksis’ other hobby is basketball. Because he can’t take his bicycle with him on work trips, he brings a basketball (with the air let out, of course), because you can find a court with a basket anywhere, and people to play with, too. Maksis has already established a circle of friends this way in Zurich, Dusseldorf, and Gran Canaria.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
‘The beginning of my story is quite fun. I remember that I really liked buses when I was a kid and wanted to be a bus driver. Later on, though, I realised that the salary wouldn’t be very attractive, so I wondered what might be similar to driving a bus, but at the next level. And I realised I had to become a pilot,’ Maksis laughs.
Luckily, his mother worked at the airport, so at the age of 15 Maksis began working summer jobs at the airport and has been around aviation ever since. His very first job was as an assistant to an aviation security inspector, meaning that he helped scan passengers’ boarding passes and slide trays along the security line.
Maksis has also worked in the duty-free shops at the airport, in customer service for another airline, and as a flight dispatcher planning flights. Then he joined the airBaltic Pilot Academy at age 19 and began training as a pilot. But he also had a plan B, namely, studying political science at the University of Latvia. He remains interested in politics and international relations to this day.
Maksis’ studies at the Pilot Academy coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, a time of great uncertainty regarding the future of the aviation industry and job security for pilots. But Maksis believed that the sector would weather the storm. He didn’t give up, continued his studies, and nowadays the pilot profession is again in high demand. He has been flying for airBaltic for two years now.
‘Of course, no one can tell you or show you what a pilot’s work is really like. The simulator doesn’t provide that,’ Maksis laughs. ‘Only when you actually begin working as a pilot do you understand that it’s really a lifestyle. Some things turn out to be much more challenging than I had initially imagined, while others seem easier. But I really like my work, I like flying, and eventually I’d like to become a flight instructor. I hope it will come true!’
Words by Ilze Pole
Photo by Evelīna Alika (Picture Agency)
