Seen at Schiphol: Airplanes
On 19 September 1916, the ‘Farman’ HF-20 was the first aircraft to land at Schiphol. The craft featured the registration LA-4 (the Aviation Department, or ‘LuchtvaartAfdeling’, of the Dutch army) and was piloted by Lieutenant Roeper Bosch. As the French military biplane rumbled to a halt in a bumpy field, it marked the beginning of 100 years of extraordinary aircraft at Schiphol.
The 1910s
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1916
This photograph from 1914 shows Lieutenant Coblijn in a HF-20 – the same type as the first aircraft to land at Schiphol – at the Soesterberg military airbase.
© Photo: The Netherlands Institute of Military History
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1919
Schiphol’s history is closely linked to that of KLM. In 1919, eight wealthy businessmen, led by Lieutenant Flying Officer Albert Plesman, found the civil aviation company KLM: the Royal Dutch Airline for the Netherlands and her Colonies. Schiphol becomes KLM’s home airport. In 1920, the company employs 12 air crew and has only four aircraft. In its first year, the company carries 345 passengers. KLM is the world’s oldest airline that is still in operation.
© Image: Wikipedia
The 1920s
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1920
17 May 1920 is the date of KLM’s maiden flight to Schiphol. British pilot Jerry Shaw flies a rented De Havilland DH-16 biplane from London to Amsterdam, carrying two British journalists to report on the journey. In the August of 1920 KLM purchases two Fokkers F.II; from now on, KLM can fly its own planes.
© Photo: ANP
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1925
The first flight from Schiphol to the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia) took all of 55 days. That was a harsh journey for the three KLM crew members, but it showed that the Dutch East Indies were accessible by air, marking a milestone in Dutch aviation. The ‘flyoneers’ who made this test flight in 1925 are honoured with great celebrations.
© Photo: Schiphol
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1929
On 13 October 1929, tens of thousands of fascinated eyes are trained on the enormous Graf Zeppelin as it hovers over Schiphol. The craft, named after the German aviation pioneer Ferdinand von Zeppelin, is more than 230 metres long and flies at about 200 metres above the ground. Schiphol is a hive of activity for the arrival, because the airship has come to drop off a mailbag.
© Photo: Wikipedia
The 1930s
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1933
In December 1933, the ‘Pelikaan’ flies from Schiphol to Batavia, setting a record time of four days, four hours and 40 minutes. This flight of the famed Fokker aircraft is known as the ‘Christmas flight’, thanks to its cargo of mailbags containing 300 letters and Christmas cards.
© Photo: Wikipedia
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1934
The Uiver is pulled out of the mud following an emergency landing in Albury, Australia. The aircraft is on its way from Amsterdam to Melbourne for the London to Melbourne Air Race. The Uiver (a Douglas DCV-2) took three days and 18 hours to make the journey, coming in in second place. Uiver means ‘stork’ in the dialect of the Betuwe area of the Netherlands. KLM calls its aeroplanes after birds whose names begin with the last letter of the registration number: PH-AJU Uiver (the ‘Uil’ – Owl – was already taken).
© Photo: Wikipedia
The 1940s
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1946
In 1946, KLM initiates a scheduled flight connecting Amsterdam and New York. Attended by a strong media presence, the first Dutch aeroplane takes off from Schiphol on its way to the United States. The KLM DC-4 Skymaster ‘Rotterdam’ makes two stops along the way, landing a day later at the airport in New York.
© Photo: Schiphol
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1946
Weather conditions are poor – low cloud and showers – when KLM’s Douglas PH-TWB lands at Schiphol after travelling from London. The landing goes badly wrong: one wing hits the ground, causing the aircraft to crash in the polder where almost the entire plane bursts into flames. None of the 26 people on board the craft come out alive.
© Photo: National Archives
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1949
1949 is the year when Schiphol welcomes its biggest aircraft up to that time. The Mayor of Amsterdam and the Minister of Transport and Waterways are both present to welcome American Overseas Airlines’ Boeing Stratocruiser. With two decks and a wingspan of over 43 metres, this aircraft can carry somewhere in the region of 100 people.
© Photo: Schiphol
The 1950s
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1953
The last big air race takes place in 1953, on a route from London to Christchurch in New Zealand. The winner is a KLM DC-6, reaching its destination 49 hours and 57 minutes after leaving London. Because the people on board include 29 brides who are emigrating to New Zealand, this heroic flight is known as ‘The Bride Flight’. Its story is immortalised in the 2008 film ‘Bride Flight’.
© Photo: National Archives
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1959
At the dawn of civil aviation, aircraft are quite the novelty and airports attract hordes of tourists. By the end of the 1950s, plane spotting has become a serious hobby. Technological developments make it possible for enthusiasts to record aircraft movements with increasing accuracy, while better-quality cameras enable fans of aeroplanes to snap great photos.
© Photo: Spaarnestad Photo
The 1970s
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1971
By 1971, Schiphol is ready to welcome jumbo jets. As early as the previous year, one of these large aircraft had already travelled to Schiphol from America. This plane has room for two-and-a-half times as many passengers as the Boeing 707. Measuring 240 by 115 metres, the jumbo hangar is one of the largest buildings in the Netherlands at this time – big enough to hold the entire Feyenoord football stadium!
© Photo: Wikipedia
The 1980s
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1989
Buddhist monks hold a prayer service at Schiphol-East before the Boeing 747-400 departs for Asia. This plane is the first type of aircraft with what is known as a glass cockpit: LCD screens feed the pilot information about the status of the aircraft, representing a digital revolution in aviation. In 1989, KLM becomes the first European airline to use this type of aircraft.
© Photo: National Archives
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1989
1989 is the year of the most devastating air disaster in Surinamese history. A Douglas DC-8 owned by Surinam Airways (SLM) takes off from Schiphol, heading for Paramaribo. The plane crashes when it tries to land near Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport. The passengers are mainly Dutch people with Surinamese heritage who are on their way to visit family. 176 people lose their lives, though 11 people survive the disaster. The injured are taken to Schiphol.
© Photo: National Archives
The 2010s
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2014
President Obama lands at Schiphol to attend the nuclear summit in The Hague. He arrives in what is probably the most famous aeroplane in the world: Air Force One. In reality, the aircraft is ‘simply’ a converted Boeing 747. It is only referred to as Air Force One when the president is on board.
© Photo: Schiphol
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2014
It’s lighter, quieter, more economical and more comfortable than the current generation of aircraft: this is the Boeing 787-8, known as the ‘Dreamliner’. In 2014, Arke is the first Dutch airline to bring one of these aeroplanes into service.
© Photo: Wikimedia
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2016
The members of heavy metal band Iron Maiden and their crew arrive at Schiphol in their private plane. Singer Bruce Dickinson pilots the Boeing 747-400 himself. Some plane spotters miss out on seeing the ‘Ed Force One’ (named after the band’s mascot, Eddie), as the plane lands 13 minutes ahead of schedule.
© Photo: Schiphol