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.
HOBBY
Toms Ezeriņš was five years old when his father first put him on a moped. His legs hardly touched the ground, but he drove it nonetheless. And from that moment on, mopeds, motorcycles, and also cars have been his main hobby.
‘I began repairing and tuning mopeds and then later motorcycles and dirt bikes, when I was 9 years old. When I was 12 years old my father gave me a car, an old Niva off-road model, and that sparked my passion for cars,’ Toms recalls. ‘I also trained as a car mechanic, which fascinated me even more. I have had more than ten cars in total, because I was not only repairing them but also driving them. I’ve done drag racing, but I like drifting the best.’
Toms is from Kandava, a beautiful small town about an hour-and-a-half’s drive from Riga. His father has built a garage next to his home, which also has a car lift. Due to his job, Toms has relocated to Riga and doesn’t make it to Kandava that often, but he still goes home from time to time and repairs cars for his friends and acquaintances.
‘I really like repairing cars,’ he says. ‘It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to take apart a car that doesn’t work, replace the parts, and bolt it back together so that it’s drivable again.’ He also watches a lot of YouTube videos of others repairing cars, thus learning new tips and tricks.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
‘Flying has fascinated me since I was a young child,’ Toms says. ‘But it seemed so out of reach and impossible for me. Like I said, I initially trained as a car mechanic. But during my apprenticeship at a car repair shop, I realised that this wasn’t going to be a job I would be happy doing every day. So I applied to Havas, which serviced Riga Airport at the time, and loaded luggage for a while. Our training took place at the airBaltic Training Centre, where I also saw future pilots training, and I thought, “Whoa… Hey, I want to do that, too!” Even the fact that the trainees wore uniforms appealed to me.’
So Toms applied to the airBaltic Pilot Academy, was accepted, and received his pilot’s licence three years later – the pandemic had significantly prolonged the training process. He still remembers the indescribable feeling of fulfilment when he was recruited by airBaltic and began flying.
‘The reality turned out to be even better than I had imagined,’ Toms says. ‘And I also enjoy the whole pilot lifestyle – the layovers as well as the extremely interesting destinations. When possible, my wife comes along on longer work trips, which is a great opportunity for both of us to travel together. It really is a dream come true!’
Words by Ilze Pole
Photo by Dmitrijs Suļžics (F64)
