Sightseeing flights, or maiden flights, were still important to serious airlines like KLM in the 1930s not only to recruit passengers, but also simply for the revenue. This riverside location at Keent was occasionally used as an airfield by Dutch military planes from 1928. Keent was a little-used satellite field for Volkel during the German occupation but suddenly became crucial to the Allies for a few days as B.82 Grave during the Battle of Arnhem. Photo from: Ton Cruijsen collection / Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum

Registered 24th June 1927. Crashed at Sevenoaks, Kent 22nd August 1927 and cancelled 5th September 1927.

Passengers boarding, destination not known to me.

Superb photo of this twin-engined Fokker flying over the port of Rotterdam. The Van Nelle coffee, tea and tobacco factory, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, stands out near the top of the photo towards the left. It was built between 1925 and 1931. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

It was long thought that all pre-war KLM airrcaft were lost, until museum employees got a tip from Venezuelan colleagues during a conference in 1999. 6 months after, the pilot who had flown the Fokker in 1939 was found and thanks to his info, the aircraft was found. The aircraft had been cannibalized by local Indians, but they were willing to trade in their parts. There are videos available of this expidition, which show way more than I could ever write here. The elevated viepoint for this photo also gives a nice impression of the other '100 years of aviation' exhibitis.

For some perhaps a bunch of junk, for me a Fokker F.VIII. After its life with KLM (as PH-AED), it was sold to the Venezuelan Government in March 1939. In April 1939, the aircraft flew to Gran Sabana to try to find Captain Cardona Puig in the area of Kamarata. The aircraft landed with a tail wind and was unable to stop in time. It ran into a ditch and the left engine caught fite. While the crew managed to put out the fire, the aircraft had to be abandoned. The remains were found in 2001. Recovered by Aviodrome volunteers and transported back to the museum for display.

The aircraft entered the Dutch register on February 28, 1929. It was given the name 'Duif' (dove) on December 16, 1937. Cancelled on March 10, 1938. To PJ-AED and sold to Venezuela in March 1939 as YV-AFO. Written off in April 1939.

KLM had 7 Fokker VIII's in their fleet, with the first one arriving on June 24, 1927. They were used exclusively on the European routes. The PH-AED was exported to Venezuela on March 10, 1938. PH-AEF became G-AEPT on November 11, 1936 (wfu at Gatwick in May 1938, scrapped afterwards). PH-AEG became SE-AEB (later Tp.10/916) on October 19, 1934. PH-AEH was cancelled on November 9, 1936. PH-AEI was cancelled on November 28, 1936 and became G-AEPU, SE-AHA, OH-FOA and FE-1. Written off in Latva on September 27, 1941.

Postcard probably published in 1929. Later G-AEPU and SE-AHA. Donated to Finland and ferried from Sweden on 12 March 1940, the aircraft served in the Finnish air force as FE-1 and crashed 27 September 1941 following an engine failure.

Prototype of the large twin-engined F.VIII airliner which had a 12-passenger interior in KLM service. It crashed near Sevenoaks, England after less than two months with the airline in 1927, but the company still ordered six production aircraft to serve its busiest European routes. Photo from: Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie

Schiphol was quite a throbbing hub by 1930. Seen here are three of KLM's 15-passenger Fokker F.VIIIs, PH-AEF, -AED and -AEI. Also present are three foreign Junkers, including G24s D-901 and D-1092 of Lufthansa, and Farman F.60 Goliath F-AEAU of Lignes Aériennes Farman. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives