Our highly committed and active member Jostein Selvikvåg died on January 23, 2024, aged 77.
Jostein had a long life as a lecturer behind him when, as a retiree in 2016, he attended a membership meeting held by Dakota Norway during the winter months when the aircraft is in the hangar.
Jostein came back, again and again.
He was humbled to acknowledge that he had to learn the organization and workings of the 1942 DC-3 aircraft.
It was clear that he had solid, general aviation knowledge. And he brought with him a well-developed technical interest and found fellow travelers among Dakota members, many of whom had vintage cars like Jostein himself.
Jostein was a man with cheerful lines and good stories. We quickly realized that he had an interest in and knowledge of a number of areas in society. He had been a lecturer at both Byskogen secondary school in Tønsberg and Sandefjord upper secondary school. At the latter, he went by the nickname "The Minister of Foreign Affairs" because for many years he organized exchange visits with schools in South Africa. He led delegations to South Africa for teachers and students from Sandefjord, and received visitors from there in Sandefjord. On school trips, he took the wheel of the bus himself, because he had been a bus driver in his spare time while studying in Bergen in the 1960s.
He was one of several Dakota drivers who made the trip to the annual car show in Birmingham. He made his 12th and final trip there in the fall of 2022.
There is one area in particular where he would make his mark in our organization: As a board member, he started to identify relevant support schemes, organizations and potential sponsors, to whom he sent applications to raise funds for the foundation's dwindling coffers. It costs money to keep an old airplane in flying condition, and the expenses don't stop even if the plane is grounded for various reasons.
Such challenges inspired Jostein to think creatively. All in all, we have never had a member who has single-handedly meant as much to the financial contributions to the foundation as he has.
It was painful to hear about the illness that struck him in the fall of 2023. He had to take it easy, and regretted that he could not continue with his offensive work for the Dakota. He had planned to be picked up in Sandefjord and to visit the hangar when the worst of the winter was over. But that was not to be.
Our condolences go out to Jostein's family, and we thank him for allowing us to use his time and commitment. He has had a great impact on our work.
Helge Hem,
Chairman of the Board of the Dakota Norway Foundation