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
Kārlis Murāns began throwing darts relatively recently – about a year ago – after a friend couldn’t make it to a social event, saying that he had to play darts on that day. ‘It was such an unexpected excuse that I decided to give it a try myself,’ Kārlis laughs. He learned that the friend’s brother and his friends had set up a darts club in Ādaži, a town near Riga, and Kārlis soon joined the Ādaži Darts Club himself.
The club members meet about once a week for a small tournament. They come with their own darts, but the dartboards are already set up. The Ādaži Darts Club meetings usually draw between ten and 20 people, and they’re a competition as well as a good way to spend some free time.
‘The cool thing about darts is that it’s a very egalitarian, inclusive sport,’ Kārlis explains, ‘and not just in the financial sense. Because neither age nor gender matters. The Ādaži Darts Club members range from high school students to retirees.’ Incidentally, he adds that the parents of the secondary school pupils note that their children’s math scores have improved considerably since they started playing darts.
The atmosphere during a tournament is always very friendly. ‘We’ve even watched the Eurovision Song Contest, the Ice Hockey World Championships and other competitions together on the big screen while we throw darts,’ Kārlis says. But the game is nevertheless very serious, because players need to concentrate on numbers. The conversations about everything else, however, can become quite loud.
Darts is becoming more and more popular in Latvia. This is evidenced by the fact that one of the top 40 players in the world is from Latvia. Kārlis says he has definitely progressed, but he still considers himself an amateur. Due to his work schedule, he’s not able to go to the club every week, but he goes whenever he can. The key to success, he says, is lots of perseverance and the desire to be the best. ‘My friends who are in the club throw darts practically every free moment they have, because they’ve got dartboards set up in their home offices,’ Kārlis says with a laugh. It’s an activity one can really get carried away with.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Kārlis graduated from the airBaltic Pilot Academy with its very first group of students. His story is initially related to his desire to stay in Latvia and ensure himself a quality of life here that would not necessitate leaving his native country. He began studying computer science at the University of Latvia, but at the same time he enrolled in the pilot school in Riga. ‘After the first flight, I was hooked and understood that I couldn’t sit in an office every day in front of a computer. From then on, it was clear that I wanted to become a pilot,’ he says.
In an extraordinary coincidence, Kārlis got an internship at the airBaltic Training Centre. At that same moment, the airline announced that it was establishing a pilot academy, and within five minutes Kārlis was knocking on every door trying to find out where and how to apply. ‘I was already in pilot school, but I realised that if I had to rely solely on my own funds, it would take a very long time for me to get to where I am now,’ he says. ‘The academy was like a superhighway to reach my goal of becoming a pilot.’
So, as soon as he had the opportunity, Kārlis sent in his application. He turned out to be a suitable candidate and passed the selection to begin studies.
Kārlis finished his training before the Covid-19 pandemic, and the first aircraft he flew was the Bombardier Dash Q400, which is no longer in the airBaltic fleet. After the pandemic, he also passed his Airbus A220-300 type rating and has been flying this new aircraft for three years. ‘I’ve considered becoming an instructor at the Pilot Academy, but for the time being I’m focused on fying and enjoy it very much! Especially if I manage a perfect landing while fling with one of my former instructors.’
Words by Ilze Pole
Photo by Evelīna Alika (Picture Agency)
