go backFrom Garage to the Hangar: Rihards Priedkalns on 20 Years in Painting
Some careers follow a clear path. Others are shaped by a single decision. For Rihards Priedkalns, Painting Department Manager at Magnetic MRO, it was a job offer in Ireland that turned a car painter into one of aviation's most experienced aircraft painting specialists – and eventually, a manager.
Rihards has been part of the Magnetic team for 10 years – nine of them as Painting Department Manager.
A Different Kind of Starting Line
Rihards didn't start in aviation. He started in a garage 20 years ago, with surface preparation, paint, color matching, and an eye for finish that would prove surprisingly transferable.
The discipline of car painting – surface preparation, finish quality – turned out to be a stronger foundation, changing position to become an aircraft painter in 2011. By 2012, just a year into his aviation career, he had already become a Paint Supervisor.
The technical step up was significant. Aircraft painting is governed by engineering orders, modification documents, and structural repair manuals that leave little room for improvisation.
He adapted quickly.
When Magnetic MRO opened its full painting capability in Tallinn, closer to home, he made the move in 2016.
The welcome mattered. "Straight away, I felt very welcomed in the Magnetic team. I had a Tallinn city and pub tour from the painting team in the first few days."
That collaborative, grounded culture is something he still points to as the main reason he's stayed. "People in the painting team are supportive, and they are fun to work with."
Growing With the Hangars
Over the past 10 years, Rihards watched Magnetic's footprint expand considerably. He remembers working out of a converted Hangar 01 before a dedicated painting facility existed.
Today, with Hangar 09 (the aforementioned dedicated painting facility), Hangar 10, and the new Hangar 11 operational, capacity has grown significantly – and the range of work the department can take on has grown with it.
In 2017, he stepped into the role of Painting Department Manager – a transition he describes plainly: "proving that I have what it takes to run a business unit."
The role brought different kinds of challenges such as project calculations, customer communication, workforce planning, and close coordination with other departments to make sure every project runs smoothly from day one.
Of the projects that have defined his career, one stands above the rest: the airBaltic aircraft painted in the Latvian flag livery for the home-country's 100-year anniversary.
Photo credit: Imre Horváth
"These projects will stick with me for the rest of my life for sure." Heritage liveries sit at the intersection of technical precision and national pride. There's no room for error on an aircraft carrying a flag across European skies.
Another great honour bestowed on Rihards and Magnetic Group as a whole was the completion of three airBaltic liveries – one for each Baltic state – Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia – commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Chain.
The Process Behind the Colour
Aircraft painting may look like a simple branding job – but it's actually a regulated technical process governed by engineering orders and structural repair manuals.
One area seeing growing operator interest is matte finishes. They look striking, but they're more demanding. In commercial aviation, matte clearcoats are applied over standard basecoats for aesthetic reasons, with no weight benefit. Operators should factor in higher servicing costs and more complex paint restoration.
Business jets add another layer. They take roughly twice as long to paint as commercial aircraft, purely due to the intensive surface preparation required before the final coat goes on. "It is just a mindset to slow down and make a job nice and beautiful."
A Career Built on Craft
Fifteen years in aviation and nine leading a department. Outside of work, Rihards builds things, travels, fishes, and follows WRC and F1 with the kind of attention that comes naturally to someone who understands what precision under pressure actually looks like. It's a fitting set of interests for a person whose professional life has been defined by exactly that.
For Rihards, staying comes down to the work and the people – through converted hangars, flag liveries, and the move from painter to manager.
The aircraft keep coming, and the standards don't drop.
The Magnetic MRO painting department handles full repaints, livery changes, and touch-up work across commercial, regional, and business aviation from its dedicated facility in Tallinn. For project enquiries, get in touch with the team here: https://magneticmro.com/contact-us/
