Arnold Neahaus Won A Flight Around Amsterdam At Age 7

Back in 1935, Arnold Neahaus entered a contest sponsored by KLM that had a grand prize of a flight around Amsterdam ... and the then-7-year-old boy won.

But he was not able to claim his prize. His sister was suffering from scarlet fever, a highly infectious disease. Still, he kept the letter, occasionally showing it off to his family in the intervening years.

You might think that the airline wouldn't honor the win after such a long time, but when the airline learned of the win from Neahaus' granddaughter, they decided to finally give him the flight for his 90th birthday.

Now known as "Grandpa Nol", Neahaus and his 7-year-old grandson Jagger were taken on the flight in a 1944 Dakota DC-3, according to KLM's corporate blog. They were picked up in a 1930 Ford model A Tudor and driven to the airport, where they boarded the flight.

"We surprised Opa Nol at home in Heiloo. To make this work, we got Nol’s wife, who is also 90, involved in the plot. They were sitting out in the sun on a Sunday morning, when Jagger suddenly showed up, accompanied by two cabin attendants. Nol was stunned and speechless, until he was shown the letter he received as a child. Then all the puzzle pieces fell into place and he started recounting the story once more. Just then, the Ford A Tudor pulled up, honking its horn. Opa Nol was invited to hop in for a drive to the Schiphol Jet Centre, where the Dakota DC-3 “Princess Amalia” stood shimmering in the sun," KLM wrote on its blog. "Hand in hand, Jagger and Opa Nol headed out across the platform to the plane, where their cabin attendant stood waiting. Having climbed the stairs, they waved to their family before taking their seats. Several minutes later, the plane took off and Grandpa Nol’s wish was finally fulfilled."

"The weather was superb and the view was magnificent. They had permission to fly at relatively low altitude, making it easier to spot things on the ground. Together, they saw the Keukenhof Gardens in full bloom and enjoyed the wonderfully picturesque villages and windmills of the famous Bollenstreek bulb-growing region. Later, Nol and Jagger also took a look in the cockpit, shortly before the DC-3 landed at Schiphol once more."

(Images provided by KLM)

FMI: blog.klm.com/arnolds-airborne-adventure-a-dream-fulfilled-after-83-years