Image: Aviodrome
Image: Aviodrome
There is, however, far more than just aircraft to marvel at.
The museum management has been successful in acquiring addi-
tional exhibits from different eras to create an authentic atmosphere.
For instance, an open De Dion Bouton two-seater car is parked in
front of the Wright Flyer, presenting a charmingly contoured
bonnet, while a timeless Renault stands in front of another classic
plane, and even the diminutive Hanomag, the famed ‘Kommiss-
brot’ or ‘army loaf’, is there. Hidden beneath the comparably
massive, four-engined Lockheed ‘Constellation’, a tiny Daf 600,
the first compact car with fully automatic (V-belt) transmission, is
almost completely overshadowed. Last but not least, resting next
to the Fokker F.VII, visitors can admire a vertical fuel tank on
wheels with a bulky hand pump – the first airfield tanker, from
1930.
Some of the aircraft are only shown as mock-ups or
sections, while in other cases it is only the cockpits that convey a
sense of the atmosphere in earlier days of aviation engineering,
among them the Sud Aviation ‘Caravelle’, the elegantly propor-
tioned medium-haul airliner constructed in France during the
1960s. An interactive area offers visitors the opportunity to put
their skills to the test in a Boeing 737 flight simulator, even if it is
a simple affair.
One of the true highlights in the extensive collection
comprising over 80 aircraft is doubtless the world’s last flying DC
2, ‘de Uiver’ (the Stork). It was the predecessor to the DC 3
Dakota, which would later become immensely popular – over
15,000 were constructed, making it one of the world’s most
recognisable aircraft. The DC 2 had two radial engines, accom-
modated 14 passengers and had quaint curtains at the windows
– travelling in style. The Uiver on show is a tribute to the KLM DC
2, whose name and design it shares and which – as a scheduled
airliner – competed in an air race from London to Melbourne in
October 1934, coming in a sensational second place behind a
specially designed de Havilland racer.
It would hardly be the Netherlands if Anthony Fokker didn’t
enter the picture soon. From early childhood, Holland’s most illus-
trious aircraft engineer, born in 1890 on the island of Java in
Indonesia (then still a Dutch colony), developed a keen interest in
technology, above all in the nascent field of aviation. He made a
name for himself during the First World War developing versatile
and high-performance fighter planes. He proceeded to develop
the first commercial aircraft after the war, at times adapting
previous designs. The company held on to its good reputation
right into the 1990s, and the reliable short and medium-haul
Fokker 50 and Fokker 100 airliners are still seen frequently today.
The Aviodrome is home to no less than 15 spectacular
models from Fokker’s former product range, among them the
very first design, ‘de Spin’ (Dutch for ‘the Spider’), a spidery
monoplane with an Argus engine.
Of particular interest is the relatively advanced Fokker F.VII
from 1924 – a sturdy-looking high-wing monoplane with struts,
able to transport eight to 10 passengers just over 1000 kilometres.
Pleasingly, the narrow cabin is open to visitors; the apparatus cla-
tters gently – a landscape shot in black and white passes by the
large windows, recreating the experience of passengers in bygone
days.
The twin-engine Fokker F27 ‘Friendship’ is pretty much
essential for the exhibition; it was the first of the larg passenger
aircraft constructed after the Second World War, designed for
roughly 40 travellers. Outside, on the grounds, visitors will find
more recent models – the F50 and the twin-jet F100, a 100-seater
with a modern design.
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Some of the aviation old-timers in the museum remain
airworthy and can even be booked for sightseeing flights. The
Consolidated PBY ‘Catalina’, a twin-engined, long-range flying
boat used primarily as a maritime reconnaissance aircraft in the
Second World War, deserves a special mention. The most coveted
seats – located in the two distinctive convex Plexiglas domes posi-
tioned along the sides – offer an unbeatable 180-degree
panoramic view.
Finally, and we are still moving forward on our journey
through time, visitors find themselves in a truly historic-looking
building. This is the original passenger terminal at Schiphol Airport,
dating from 1928 and reconstructed stone by stone. Visitors feel
truly transplanted into this era, a time when travellers would look
up flight connections scrawled in chalk on wide blackboards. For
20 August 1931, flights to ‘Londen’, ‘Parijs’, ‘Berlijn’, ‘Praag’ and
even ‘Batavia’ – today’s Jakarta – are announced. Huge barrows
await mountains of baggage and, although the procedures in the
terminal buildings back then were most certainly professional,
they have little in common with the hustle and bustle and ubiqui-
tous technology of modern-day practice.
Visitors are even invited to ascend the tower that was used
at the time by air traffic controllers. Today, it offers a magnificent
view of Lelystad Airport, the entire Aviodrome grounds and some
of the aircraft exhibited there – a wonderful conclusion and the
true highlight of the tour.
The Aviodrome is highly recommended and well worth a
day-trip, perhaps as part of a visit to Amsterdam or tranquil holi-
day on the Ijsselmeer. Even on a rainy day, when the North Sea
beaches to the west are hardly inviting, the few kilometres jour-
ney to the aviation museum is definitely worth it. In any case, the
relaxing drive from the city of Enkhuizen via the Markerwaarddijk
– practically bisecting the Ijsselmeer – is a fairly enchanting option
in its own right …
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Spartan cockpit of the de Havilland ‘Tiger Moth’, with its
special, horizontally-installed flight compass. The image on
the right shows a board with historical – and hand-written –
departure times for 20 August 1931.
Cockpit of the four-engined Lockheed L 749 ‘Constellation’ long-
range airliner, a precursor of the later and very popular ‘Super
Connie’. Numerous circular analogue gauges dominate the image.
Just visible on the right is the flight engineer’s console.
Aviodrome Lelystad
Pelikaanweg 50
8218 PG Luchthaven Lelystad
Opening times
Tuesday to Sunday
10 to 17 hours
Admission
Adults 16.50 €
Children 3-11 years 14 €
up to 2 years free of charge
(online-tickets 1 € off)
Top: The Douglas DC 3 formed the backbone of many airlines in the
post-war period – including KLM, the Dutch national carrier. Centre:
the outdoor area. Bottom: inside the hangar. In the foreground, a
Fokker F 27 ‘Friendship’; further back, a de Havilland ‘Dove’ commuter
aircraft; on the ceiling, an MBB Bo 105, a very common
multipurpose-and-rescue helicopter in the Netherlands.
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AT THE MUSEUM
