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
Sim racing, or simulator racing, is just one of Artūrs Asars-Asarovskis’ many hobbies. But it’s the most relevant one at the moment. Sim racing is not a professional sport in Latvia, but it’s very popular as a hobby. Artūrs began doing it during the pandemic, when he found a league in Latvia whose participants compete one-on-one in F1 racing. It has now evolved into several other games, in which Artūrs has also participated. But it was in the F1 league that he won the title of champion.
‘I did a lot of sim racing during the pandemic, because there was nowhere else to go,’ Artūrs says. ‘At one point I even got to the world level, but then the pandemic ended and flying resumed, and I didn’t have much time for racing anymore. Now I still compete once in a while, but much less often than before, because it’s difficult to combine with my work schedule. But I’m still in the top three.’
When asked what he enjoys most about sim racing, Artūrs says that he likes racing in general, and also driving cars. ‘It’s very expensive to race on a track, but nowadays the technology has advanced so much that sim racing feels almost the same,’ he explains.
But yes, sim racing is not Artūrs’ only hobby. He’s been playing golf since the age of four. Before becoming a pilot, he played floorball for eight years, took swimming lessons, and graduated from the percussion class at a music school. ‘And I ski in winter,’ he adds, ‘although that’s more just to spend extra time with my family. I could never sit for long at a computer; I had to be doing something all the time,’ he laughs. But that’s not all. Out of boredom during the pandemic, he also enrolled at Riga Technical University (RTU), graduating last year with a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications engineering.
Sim racing and golf also help Artūrs with his work on the flight deck. ‘Sim racing has definitely helped me develop my concentration skills. You have to try to “run the course” in about two hours without making any mistakes,’ he says. ‘And golf teaches you to deal with your emotions and not panic in unexpected situations.’
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
In his final year of high school, Artūrs saw an advertisement for the airBaltic Pilot Academy. After graduating, he applied to Riga Technical University…but thanks to the ad, he also applied to the Pilot Academy and was accepted.
‘I like anything I can drive, whether it’s a car or a plane,’ he says. ‘It’s not like I dreamed about being a pilot from the age of five. Instead, I saw this as a very good opportunity to learn the profession in Latvia and work for airBaltic. I went into the selection process with the attitude that it would be great if I got in, but I wouldn’t be heartbroken if I didn’t make it, because I had other ideas, too, about what I could do.’
Artūrs began flying more than two years ago and still enjoys the fact that every day is different. He also feels very privileged to be able to admire the views out the window, which few people are destined to see and which are impossible to capture effectively in a photograph. ‘It’s all very special to me,’ he says.
Artūrs’ goal is to become a captain. But he would also like to work in the office, balancing flying with office work and possibly some day also working as an instructor at the Pilot Academy.
Words by Ilze Pole
Photo by Gatis Rozenfelds (Picture Agency)
