Saturday 11 March was a special day at Schiphol. Forty children, together with their parents, brothers and sisters, visited the airport as part of the ‘Hoogvliegersdag’ - an initiative of the Hoogvliegers Foundation.
Published on: 14 March 2023
This foundation enables sick or disabled children aged 6 to 17 to experience an extraordinary and unforgettable aviation adventure. A day without worries, a day to forget about illness or disability, a day when these children can rise above themselves and feel extremely special. In short, a day they will never forget.
Chalk drawings on the runway
The Hoogvliegers who came to Schiphol on 11 March had a real runway to themselves for a short while. On the Zwanenburgbaan Runway (currently under maintenance), they drew to their hearts' content with chalk on the asphalt. They also visited the Sloten Fire Station, where they learned how the fire brigade at Schiphol extinguishes a burning plane. To top it off, the Hoogvliegers did a real Runway Run where they drove around the runways and taxiways in various vehicles.
Watch the Hoogvliegers video on the bottom of this page.
Polar Bears in action
Various organisations pulled out all the stops at Schiphol-East to make it a beautiful day. KLM's towing service was on hand with a vehicle, and the fire brigade was also on display. Also present to answer questions were a marshaller, a bird controller, Customs and the police. Some Polar Bears (Schiphol's snow fleet that clears the airfield of ice in winter) even stopped by to show their vehicle and talk about their work.
More information
Want to know more about the work of the Hoogvliegers Foundation? Take a look here.