Get an exclusive Surfshark VPN Holiday Season deal! Enter promo code SAM to get up to 6 additional months for free at https://surfshark.com/sam

I arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania to experience a white winter with snow everywhere! First, I visited Avia Solutions Group to learn more about ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) and explored some aviation training opportunities there.

Next, I arrived at Vilnius Airport to board the airBaltic A220 flight to Riga. The pilot kindly showed the cockpit of the A220 and discussed the winter operation. Before departure, deicing procedure was applied to our aircraft. I was able to jumpseat in the cockpit and watched the pilot perform a procedure called “ice shedding” (to remove any ice formed on engine blades) just before takeoff.

The workload in the cockpit was heavier due to a short flight to Riga, Latvia. The runway in Riga is wet and the runwaybreaking action is crucial for the landing. I transited Riga to Amsterdam and flew with the same cockpit crew. This time I sat back in the cabin and explored more features of the airBaltic Airbus A220. Watch the final landing in Amsterdam from the cockpit!