Niles August Tilenius

It is with great sadness that we report the unexpected and tragic death of Niles August Tilenius - a professional aviator, pilot, and flight instructor, as well as an entertainer and musician - at the far-too-early age of 22. Niles was a dear friend to many and built bridges and relationships everywhere he went; he was a wise old soul at a young age who had a heart of gold and saw (and brought out) the positive in everyone he encountered.

Niles passed away the afternoon of Sunday, October 19, 2025, in Erie, Colorado, due to the crash of a single-engine light aircraft he was piloting along with a student of his, likely as a result of fierce, sudden, unexpected wind shear overwhelming their small plane close to the runway.

Niles is survived by his immediate family - his mother, Stephanie Schear Tilenius, his father, Eric William Tilenius, and his brother, Liam Everett Tilenius - along with numerous extended family members who loved him dearly.

Niles was born on July 8, 2003, in Stanford, California. He grew up attending the Hillsborough, California public schools (West Elementary School and Crocker Middle School), then graduated from high school at Crystal Springs Uplands School in 2021.

During his youth, Niles was involved in musical theater at Pied Piper Players, sang in the Ragazzi Boys' Chorus, and performed at piano recitals. He was also Captain of the Cross-Country team at Crystal, co-founded Crystal's Green Team Sustainability Program, and played percussion in the Crystal Jazz band. He was the drummer in an active local band, Charge!, loved for its high-energy covers of Rush and other classic rock songs.

Niles became a Bar Mitzvah in 2017 at Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo, CA and served on the Board of the North Peninsula Jewish Teen Foundation, helping to raise and distribute charity funds to aid the community.

Niles went on to attend Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, where he was a member of the cross-country team and studied environmental and applied sciences.

After completing a year and a half at CWRU, Niles took a leave of absence and got his pilot's license from ATP Flight School. There, he discovered his intense love and passion for flying. He subsequently gained his instrument, commercial, multi-engine, and flight instructor credentials.

Niles served as a flight instructor at ATP in Livermore, CA, at TrexAir Aviation Academy in Concord, CA, and most recently at Odyssey Pilot Hours in Erie, Colorado. He was accepted into United Airlines' Aviate program, which gives young aviators a fast-track to a first officer job at United. Niles also volunteered for charity flights with Angel Flight West. Niles always led with love and looked for ways to help others; his life was one filled with authenticity and empathy

Most recently, Niles landed two job offers as a commercial aviation line pilot and chose to join GoJet Airlines, a United Express carrier. He was to start at GoJet on November 18, 2025, less than a month from the time of his death, and was tremendously excited to be starting that new chapter in his aviation career. He was overjoyed and proud to have been able to follow his dreams in a tough hiring environment. He was truly doing what he loved.

Fellow pilots, students, and aviation industry figures hailed Niles as a very intelligent, careful, thorough, skilled, and detail-oriented pilot who brought an infectious love for aviation to all around him. Niles had finally found his true calling, only to have it cruelly cut out from under him.

In addition to flying, Niles kept his love for music and entertaining going in recent years by working for Main Stage Productions of Palo Alto, CA as a Master of Ceremonies, bringing his exuberant energy and joy to bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings, and corporate events.

Niles' family has set up a tribute page where they invite Niles' friends & family to contribute photos, videos, and remembrances at: https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/LGddF2ei

There will be a private family burial. Jewish Funeral Services will be held at Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo, CA at 3:30 pm on Thursday, October 30, 2025. All are welcome.

The family will also host a larger Memorial Service & Life Celebration for Niles in the future (likely January 2026) and seeks to include everyone whose life Niles has touched. To make sure the family can reach you with information on attending Niles' Life Celebration, please submit your info here: https://forms.gle/UQmaveHLkYL2AXnp8

In lieu of flowers or other material items, donations may be made to one of the following 501(c)3 charities in Niles' memory, chosen to reflect Niles' passions for aviation, music, theatre and the environment:

Angel Flight West: https://angelflightwest.org/
Pied Piper Players: https://piedpiperplayers.org/donate/
Environmental Defense Fund: https://donate.edf.org/campaign/633402/donate

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