Norway gets land airports. PH-AKI arrived at Fornebu on 31 May 1939 to open the Oslo - Kristiansand - Amsterdam service on 1 June, the official opening day of both Fornebu and Kristiansand - Kjevik. Both airports also had seaplane facilities. Photo by: Asbjørn Barlaup / Nasjonalbiblioteket (Norway)

The photo is thought to show PH-AGR carrying out KLM's very first scheduled fortnightly service on the Amsterdam - Batavia (Jakarta) route - the pilot does look like Evert van Dijk. The aircraft called at Palembang on 3 October 1930 on the way out and returned on 17 October. Certainly it is not yet named Reiger (heron) here. The press reported KLM giving its aircraft names on 26 August 1931. Photo from: Leiden University Libraries

This really is the former OY-ASE.

Coming in from Baghdad, the DC-2 encountered a severe thunderstorm and it was impossible to locate Dekelia - Tatoi airport in Athens. The experienced captain, Jan Moll, decided that an emergency landing in a field near the beach in Voula was the safest option, and although the aircraft sustained serious damage, no one was hurt. Note that the location is very close to Ellinikon (LGAT), but that airport didn't exist yet in 1937. The DC-2 was shipped to Holland. Repairs were completed in December 1937. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Crashed on a training flight after the idle starboard engine would not pick up. Hit the ready room of an AAA platoon on the NE side of the airport near the bridge. One soldier killed, five wounded. Forward fuselage reads Vrachtdienst (cargo service). Aircraft repaired by December 1939 but destroyed in the bombing of Schiphol on 10 May 1940. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Some Fokker F.IIIs - including KLM's final pair, H-NABU and NABV - were parasol planes with the wing raised about 1 ft above the fuselage. The pilot moved from the right to the left side of the engine as air traffic was now supposed to keep to the right. Photo from: J Koolen collection

Now that's a nice welcome commitee. Built by NV Ned. Vliegtuigenfabriek (as c/n 25) and registered to KLM Nederlands and Colonies on May 7, 1935. In the early morning of October 28, 1938, the aircraft was operating a postal flight from Cologne and landed hard in fog. Afterwards, the fuselage was put on display at Schiphol for months. Although a different source mention that the aircraft was repaired after all. On December 3, 1938 the registration was cancelled. On May 16, 1940 it was requisitioned for Lufthansa and it became NA+LF and D-ABOW. Written off in Berlin on February 11, 1944.

Designed by Joop Carley and built by Werkspoor in the 1930's. Ordered by KLM in 1929 as a specialised freighter, only one aircraft was built and it was solely deployed between Amsterdam, Rotterdam and London. The aircraft was delivered in 1931 and only served for 2 years before being passed on to the airlines training centre for the next 8 years. The registration was cancelled in February 1940 and on May 10 1940, the aircraft was destroyed during a German bombing of Schiphol. The aircraft carried the titles 'Freightservice', which earned the aircraft the nickname ' Vreetservies'.

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.

The 'Snip' is famous for operating the first transatlantic flight for KLM. Between 15-22 December 1934, it flew the routing Amsterdam - Marseille, Alicante, Casablanca, Porto Praia, Paramaribo, La Guaira, Curaçao. Covering 10488 km in 54h27. For support, the Dutch Navy submarine "K XVIII" and ships "Stuyvesant" and "Van Renelaer" were based in the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft stayed at the Antilles and was reregistered PJ-AIS in February 1936 to KLM West-Indisch Bedrijf. Written off in April 1948 and used as fire trainer. At upload, the cockpit section still preserved at the Curacao museum. Location unknown, although likely to be Curacao.

Registered to KLM in late February 1929 and damaged in a storm near Haamstede on July 15, 1936. The registration was cancelled on August 7, 1936 and the aircraft was scrapped. Parts were said to be sold to Air France.

Belly titles are not a modern invention - KLM aircraft on the East Indies route carried the legend 'Holland-Java'. A reliable but conservative type, the F.XVIII (F.18) was replaced on this route by the DC-2. Snip then made the first flight by a Dutch aircraft to the West Indies, crossing the Atlantic between Praia and Paramaribo. Ironically this was in fact a ferry flight, relegating the Fokker to KLM's West Indies branch as PJ-AIS. Photo from: Leiden Photo University Libraries

This early F.VII was displayed by Anthony Fokker at Croydon in 1925. It then had a Napier Lion engine. Bought by KLM it received a Bristol Jupiter and here it has an unusual tailfin shape. Also the rudder appears to be red, white and blue. Sister aircraft H-NACJ is known to have had this too in 1926, but the Dutch army disapproved of this for civil aircraft. The provisional Bessonneau hangar was replaced by a permanent Hangar B after a whirlwind destroyed it in 1928. Photo by: Jacob Gerrit van Es / Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken

Nice prop blur and a nice catch for Mr Hahn, although he left the unique Fokker F.XX unidentified in the German archive. Note the removal of the aircraft's wheel doors in comparison with our earlier photo. Photo by: Walter Hahn / SLUB / Deutsche Fotothek

A KLM DC-3 framed with three DC-2s, PH-AKN, -R and -S. Note the word 'Amsterdam' on the platform, and the modern spelling IJ rather than Y in the titles of the DC-3. PH-AKS was badly damaged on 28 October 1938. It was eventually repaired but only to be requisitioned for Lufthansa by the Germans, as was PH-AKR. AKN and ARX were destroyed by bombing here on 10 May 1940. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

This really is the former OY-ASE.

Dutch crown princess Juliana on her way to Surinam (Dutch Guyana) in 1943, escorted by an American B-25 and a Dutch one, 42-65102. PJ-AIM was delivered to KLM's West Indies branch in July 1938. Retired in 1948 and dumped into sea in 1949. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

This was to have been the first DC-5 for KLM, but PH-AXA "Alk" was not taken up. On 8 May 1940, shortly before the German invasion in Holland, this aircraft arrived at Curaçao on delivery to KLM's West Indies branch as PJ-AIW "Wakago". It was transferred to KNILM in the East Indies as PK-ADC in June 1941. Flown to Australia in early March 1942 and transferred to USAAF two months later. Damaged beyond repair in an emergency landing at the Lurnea Siding Airstrip near Charleville, QLD on 6 Nov 1942. Scrapped on site in May 1943. Photo from: San Diego Air & Space Museum

Painted as PH-APM, but is really the ex N213GB.

Painted as PH-APM, but is really the ex N213GB.