Here’s a heartwarming story

In 2013, the Stuck at the Airport team attended Aviation Geek Fest in Seattle.

The annual event was put together by the Boeing Future of Flight aviation center in Everett, WA, Airline Reporter founder David Parker Brown and Seattle’s Museum of Flight.

Among the attendees that year were Per Skute and his 12-year-old son, Eskil. They had traveled to the event from Norway.

After meeting them and hearing about their adventures, which included losing their luggage on the way over, we told Eskil that if he wrote a report about his trip, we’d post it on this site.

He did write a report. And although he was not yet fluent in English, his enthusiasm was clear as a bell. So we posted it as written, with just a few edits for length.

Here’s an excerpt:

“My trip to Seattle was totally awesome!!!… We where a lot at the future of flight. We where a lot up on the roof and watched planes land and take off. We saw the Dreamlifter take off. That whas very cool:) next day we where going to the Boeing 737 factory. We where first at the Museum of Flight. I loved museum of flight. The sr-71blackbird and mig 21fishbed and more…

When we comed to the boeing factory we where taked up to a Big room with three Big tv’s. We where not allowed to take pictures inside. When i comed out to where They builded boeing 737 i where like woow. It was huge. I saw a lot of airplanes in Lines ahead. I saw sas, westjet, hainan airlines,northwest airlines and united. It was hot inside.

Becoming a commercial pilot

In 2022, we learned that Eskil had continued to follow his interest in aviation. His dad wrote to tell us Eskil was on his way to Texas to complete training to be a pilot.

And last week, a note arrived from Eskil’s dad letting us know that Eskil is now an official pilot. It said, in part:

“Wanted to let you know that we (my wife and myself) had the pleasure of joining Eskil on his first flight as a real pilot for BRA in Sweden on an ATR-72. We met you when Eskil was 12 years old and already quite determined to be a pilot. It wasn’t until 3 years ago that he couldn’t let his dreams just pass.

As a parent it is extremely satisfying to watch your kids fulfill their dreams. So this has been a great day.

Just wanted to give a little thank you for your article 12 years ago that was one of the many small things that pushed him in the right direction.

We’re delighted to have been a small part of this big story.

Congratulations, Eskil! We’re very proud of you!

Thanks for visiting Stuck at the Airport. Subscribe to get daily travel tidbits. And follow me on Twitter at @hbaskas and Instagram.