Aviodrome

National Aviation Theme Park
Lelystad Airport
The Netherlands
August 2006


Billed as a theme park, and listed as a tourist attraction, I found the Aviodrome a somewhat frustrating experience. But more on that later – for all my frustrations this museum has some fascinating stuff.

The B.A.T. FK 23 heads my list. The Netherlands was neutral in WWI – a lesser-known fact is that from that position they had two leading aircraft designers working for the opposing sides: Fokker for Germany, and Koolhoven for the British Aerial Transport Co. During his time there he designed the lovely to look at B.A.T FK 23. With a top speed of 142 mph and with the pilot uniquely located above the top wing of its biplane configuration this was an aircraft ahead of its time. By way of comparison the top speed of most of its contemporaries was a slow 116 – 119 mph (Camel and Fokker DVII respectively) with the Bristol Monoplane coming closest at 130 mph.

However a late introduction and an unreliable A.B.C. 1 Wasp power plant meant the FK23 was never to realize its potential.

More information on Koolhoven can be found at the excellent Koolhoven Foundation website http://www.koolhoven.com/

One of my small frustrations with the Aviodrome was that it seemed a little disjointed – a little of everything but no authoritative theme. I understand this is now being addressed with a focus being put on Dutch commercial aviation history – building on their already substantial collection this promises to be a treat.

You will already find: -

- The last flying DC 2 presented in scheme of ‘De Uiver’ the KLM winner of the Handicap Division of the 1934 London –Melbourne MacRobertson Air Race. See
http://www.dc3airways.com/1934-1.html

- A Lockheed Constellation that has just had all its engines started after some 3 yrs and all going well should be back in the air next year as the oldest flying example of its type.

- Several DC 3’s

- A brick by brick rebuild of the 1928 Schipol Terminal (worth a visit in its own right)

- A compulsory Fokker F27 Friendship

- A Fokker F2 and a very impressive Fokker F7A done up as KLM’s H-NADP which completed the world’s first Intercontinental Charter Flight in 1928 – Amsterdam to Batavia (now Djakarta)

A final fitting bit of airline trivia; KLM is world’s oldest airline still operating under its original name.

The Aviodrome has more aircraft – of interest to me there is or was, one lonely Spitfire parked outside which I think maybe the Spitfire that was recently swapped for a Firefly. (I’m not sure about this so if anyone can put me right please do) – and there is a newly acquired Catalina.


A full list of aircraft including those not on display can be found at http://www.aviodrome.nl/

Which brings me to my other frustration – admitting that my language skills are well below that of most Europeans – I was surprised that a Dutch attraction didn’t have more English interpretive material both at the museum and in its media offerings.

How to get there? Lelystad is about a 45 min train journey NNE of Amsterdam. There is then a wait for a bus to the airfield. A car would be preferable. Detailed directions – in English - will be found on their website.

Last but not least, the author of the Aviodrome and Koolhoven websites also has his own very fascinating website; Henri’s Aircraft You can spend many happy hours exploring both his site and the links he provides.

Enjoy!