From line maintenance to project management within base maintenance department – within years spent working in aviation, Jevgeni Toloknov, Project Manager at Base Maintenance, has seen how aviation has changed and evolved – and how Magnetic Group grew into the organization it is now. And as this spring we mark Jevgeni’s 25th “workiversary”, we sat down to hear his story about all this time devoted to Magnetic family and to taking care of aircraft.
Jevgeni, let’s start with your story – how did you end up working in aviation?
Jevgeni Toloknov: I was dreaming of working in aviation since I was a child. After I finished my school, I applied to become a helicopter pilot, but didn’t pass the final medical check, so I chose to become an aircraft mechanic. After I graduated from the aviation school in 1985, I started working in Tallinn as a Line Maintenance mechanic on soviet planes, until I became a flight engineer in 1989. After Estonia regained its independence our local Aeroflot branch was transformed into Estonian Air, so I kept working as a flight engineer there. After 1997 there was no need in flight engineers anymore due Estonian Air was upgrading its fleet, so I returned to technical department on the ground and basically my workplace hasn’t changed since then, because Estonian Air Maintenance became Maersk Air Maintenance in 2002, then Air Maintenance Estonia in 2009 and last rebranding into Magnetic MRO in 2014.
Since you have been with Magnetic throughout all these years, how can you describe your experience here?
JT: Almost all of 37 years of my career in aviation I spent in one place, just with different owners in different times and I must say that overall experience, including working in Magnetic MRO of course, was very positive for me as I have passed through many steps in my career: from being unlicensed mechanic to becoming a project manager – and this has been my biggest achievement in the career so far! I would like to personally thank my manager Sergei Shkolnik who trusted and supported me in this latest step.
That is an impressive career achievement indeed! What would be other significant memories from your work? Or some projects to have worked on?
JT: My greatest memory associated with Magnetic MRO is the evolution of company itself. We started with having one aircraft on the line in the old hangar and needed to attract a lot of contractors to perform the maintenance, but now we have several lines, hangars and departments. Also I would like to mention our great team and colleagues, as well as our management, who despite the difficult times does everything for the company to stay competitive and attractive service provider. All of this forms my good memories – and I am sure many great memories are yet to be built.
When it comes to projects, they are usually more or less standard - but each of them is still interesting and exciting in its own way and requires an individual approach. I would not exclude one project or another, but can easily say that this work is never boring!
And besides work – and aviation of course – what are your other hobbies?
JT: I like fishing, outdoor recreation or picking mushrooms in the forest – this is quite common free-time activity around here. I also really enjoy looking after my house, gardening and fixing something there – it is that “home time” that help me relax. But after I retire, I would like to start travelling more often – it is also always interesting to discover new places and new cultures.
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