BEHIND THE SCENES / January
FLEET / January
Words by Ilze Pole
Photo courtesy of Klāvs Sebris
it have a fully certified international
airport, but also a sandy beach. What
can be better than flying planes across
the Baltics during the day and playing
some beach volleyball and going for a
swim in the afternoon? That’s what our
summer was like!
Airbus A220-300
CHARACTER TRAITS
There is no perfect mix of traits that are
required to be a pilot, but some charac-
teristics are more important than others.
Safe operations require one to be precise
and punctual. In addition, things can
change very quickly in aviation, be it
weather, your roster, or aircraft availabil-
ity. So you have to be flexible and able to
adapt easily to the ever-changing nature
of this job. Last but not least, one has to
be a great team player, because when
you’re on duty, you’re never alone. You’re
a member of a team with other pilots and
cabin crew, and you all share a com-
mon goal – a safe and pleasant flight for
the passengers.
Klāvs Sebris after his first solo flight.
Cutting off a new pilot’s tie after his or
her first solo flight is an old tradition.
What is
training to
become a pilot
like?
According to
KLĀVS SEBRIS (29), a student
at the airBaltic Pilot Academy
The first group of students at
the airBaltic Pilot Academy
started their studies nine
months ago. The academy
was founded by airBaltic
with an aim to train new
pilots for the airline. The
programme is now accepting
applications again.
128
/ airBaltic.com
BEING A STUDENT
I’m very glad to be one of the twelve lucky
people who were admitted in the first
group of students at the airBaltic Pilot
Academy. The programme started just
nine months ago; however, it feels like it’s
been a lot longer due to the intensity of
the studies. At the moment, we’re almost
finished with our last three ATPL (airline
transport pilot licence – Ed.) theory
subjects out of a total of fourteen. This
will be followed by the CAA (Civil Aviation
Authority – Ed.) exams, and then we’ll go
back to flight training, which undoubtedly
everyone loves the most.
PROS & CONS
This is a full-time integrated programme,
which means it can prepare students
for the pilot’s profession in the quickest
and most efficient way. Nevertheless, it
also means that the programme is very
demanding and comprehensive. If I
could give one piece of advice to future
students, it would be to study hard and
smart from day one.
The theory classes are held at the
airBaltic Training Centre in Riga, but
our air base is in Liepāja. Not only does
REQUIREMENTS AND SELECTION
The admission process for the training
programme took place in several stages.
The first screening was based on our cen-
tralised school exams, CV, and motivation
letter. Then the candidates were invited
to a selection day at the Training Centre,
where we had to perform group exercises
and math, IQ, and English tests. This was
followed by waiting for the results – time
really slowed down then! But luckily that’s
all in the past now, and after some more
tests, interviews with a psychologist, a
medical examination, a physical fitness
test, a management interview, and some
more waiting...I finally got the call I was
hoping for all my life, asking ‘Are you
still interested in the pilot programme?’
I don’t think I have to tell you what my
answer was.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
I had been thinking about becoming a
pilot ever since finishing high school.
However, I was reluctant to take the risk
of the big investment needed for pilot
training without assurance that I would
be selected by an airline. This programme
is unique in that successful candidates
are offered a position as first officer at air-
Baltic right after graduation. This was a
dream-come-true moment for me. Apply,
and it can be yours, too!
To apply to airBaltic’s Pilot Academy, the minimum requirements are that you must be at least 18 years old, are a high-school graduate, your
health meets Class 1 Medical Certificate standards, you have an excellent command of spoken and written English (the studies are in English),
no criminal record, know how to swim, and have a clear credit history if you require a loan.
To be considered for the 2019 Spring II group of students, you must submit your application by January 14, 2019.
For the summer group, submit your application by mid-March 2019.
For more information and to apply to the airBaltic Training Pilot Academy, visit www.pilotacademy.com.
Number of seats
Max take-off weight
Max payload
Length
Wing span
Cruising speed
Commercial range
Fuel consumption 145
67.6 metric tons
16.7 metric tons
38.7 m
35.1 m
870 km/h
4575 km
2200 l/h
Engine PW 1521G
Boeing 737–500/300
YL-BBX
Number of seats
Max take-off weight
Max payload
Length
Wing span
Cruising speed
Commercial range
Fuel consumption 120/142/144
58/63 metric tons
13,5/14,2 metric tons
29,79/32,18 m
28,9/31,22 m
800 km/h
3500 km
3000 l/h
Engine CFM56-3/CFM56-3C-1
Bombardier Q400 NextGen
Number of seats
Max take-off weight
Max payload
Length
Wing span
Cruising speed
Commercial range
Fuel consumption 76
29.6 metric tons
8.6 metric tons
32.83 m
28.42
660 km/h
2084 km
1074 l/h
Engine P&W 150A
Use of portable electronic devices
BOARDING
TAXI BEFORE
TAKE-OFF
TAKE-OFF
CRUISE
APPROACH
AND LANDING
TAXI AFTER
LANDING
Connectivity
GSM,
Bluetooth,
Flight Mode
Handheld
devices
e. g. tablets,
e-readers and
mobile phones
No calls
Heavy devices
e. g. laptops and
notebooks
Shall be stowed in overhead bin or under the front seat inside an appropriate bag.
Baltic Outlook
/ 2019 / 129