The YVR terminal buildings as you say in the above video, the large TCA/Air Canada terminal building is still there as the South Terminal. My comments are more about the other building.

As I recall, that was sort of an “interim” terminal, and everybody was crammed into it before the larger glass-enclosed building was built. The original Vancouver air terminal was built in the mid-1930s. Tom McGrath’s book “History of Canadian Airports” has a photo of it in 1937, with Lockheed 12A CF-CCT at the completion of its Trans-Canada Flight in 1937.

That original terminal had a control tower built in the center of the building. The old terminal burned to the ground in 1949 and was replaced in 1950 by a “temporary” building, which I believe is the one that CP, PWA, etc. were still using in 1960. This building did have a tower included. Not sure when the separate structure was erected.

The “North Terminal” was extended in 1952 and on July 1, 1957, the “West Terminal” (now the South Terminal) was opened. The old North Terminal was expanded again in 1963, and eventually torn down when the existing main terminal was built in the middle of the airport in opening in 1968.

So, I would have flown in and out of that old terminal in 1957 when I flew in a PWA Canso (one of two they had) over to Tofino and back for some BCTel work.

I would have also flown out of it in 1956, when the RCAF allowed me to fly to and from Toronto for my RCAF Tech Officer Summer training at Camp Borden. Normally, we had to travel by train, but I had already travelled both ways by CNR in 1954 and both ways by CPR in 1955, so I managed to sweet-talk the Orderly Room into paying me my travel claim in cash and letting me make my own way.

The way it worked was that they assumed I was on the train, so paid me the train fare, the price of a lower berth, meals and tips for the porter (25¢ by day and 50¢ by night), taxi, etc. In theory, I was on the train for 4 days each way, so I was taken on strength and struck off strength accordingly. In fact, instead of spending most of the week on the train and arriving at Borden a day or so early, I flew the TCA North Star red-eye to Toronto on a Saturday night, took the local train up to Borden on Sunday and was ready to start my course on Monday. The cost worked out about the same…my travel claim worked out in the range of $100 – 120 and the North Star fare was about $100 – 110 each way, plus I shipped my duffel back home on the train when I flew in 1956.

In 1961, when I flew to and from Winnipeg in a TCA Vanguard, I would have flown out of the West Terminal.

Then, when I went to Hawaii by CPAir Britannia in 1962 and 1963, it would have been out of that “temporary” North Terminal that must have stood there for about 13 years.

As I recall, there was a period of years, after the air terminal operation had been moved to the present location, when the current South Terminal was converted into a Cargo Terminal, then back to what is it now for the smaller local airlines.

The convertible parked in front of the South Terminal is a 1960 Pontiac. I thought at first it was a 1960 Buick, but the back end isn’t quite right. I had a 1959 Buick 2-door hardtop, with the big wings, but they toned them down and rounded them off a bit in the 1960 model.

Kerrisdale Taxi, I don’t remember them, but in that time frame there were less than 400 Vancouver taxi licences, spread over a great many small operators. Between 1950 and 1980, the number of taxi licences remained frozen at 363!! I can see at least 4 Kerrisdale Taxi vehicles in the photos in your video above. They are 1958 Pontiacs, we had the same models as company cars at BCTel at that time. The flashy red car is a 1958 or 1959 Dodge.

The airport taxi concession was held for many years by MacClure’s Taxis, based in the Marpole area, who also owned Airline Limousines Ltd.(or was their name Airport Limousines??) MacClure’s have been around since 1911 and are still in business. It may be that Kerrisdale Taxi was owned by MacClure’s or were later absorbed into MacClure’s. What I found by looking them up was that MacClure’s / Airline Limousines had the exclusive airport pickup concession from 1968 to 1980, so perhaps before that it was a free-for-all for anybody to pick up at YVR?

A report I found stated: “By the boom years of the late 1920s, the city had dozens of rival taxi companies, names that have mostly disappeared from the public memory. There was ABC Taxi and BB Taxi; Fifty Cent Taxi and Fred’s Dollar Taxi; Frisco and Hollywood; Owl and Sun; Canadian and Dominion; Commercial and Webster’s Peerless; Devonshire and Kerrisdale; Mikado and Nabata; Queens and Empress and Royal City; Ready and Roamer; De Luxe and Gold Band.”

The 1950s and 1960s were time of consolidation in the Vancouver taxi business, and most of the small operators became part of the bigger fleets of MacClure’s, Yellow, Black Top/Checker and Advance Taxis. The owner-operators became shareholders/co-owners in the larger taxi companies and that is the way it still is, as far as I know.

Getting back to the photos in your video, as far as I can recall, the doors did indeed empty out onto the tarmac and passengers went out and up the portable airstairs into the aircraft as you stated.

When you show the Super Connie photo with the Okanagan hangar in the background, you say this is facing South. This is actually facing West and that old Okanagan hangar was there for a long time, I think it is still there along Agar Drive, on the way into the FBOs on the West side. Have a look at the later photo of the TCA DC-8, with the same hangar in the background.

The old TCA schedule in your video: note at the end of the list of Vancouver flights there is a North Star red-eye service in each direction. That is the reverse of the flight I look in 1956 to Toronto. Left YVR late at night, one stopover in Winnipeg and into Toronto early the next morning. The exhaust flame of the Merlin engines was very spectacular at night!

Fares as I noted above, the one-way North Star fare between Toronto and Vancouver was, as I remember, $110 in 1956. Almost exactly the same as the RCAF paid me to, in theory, take the train for four days including fare, birth, meals, tips, etc.

Have another look at that photo of the United Airlines 720. Are you sure it is 1960, the same as the others? See the hangar in the background, just ahead of the tail of the 720. That is not the RCAF wartime hangar, it is the first hangar that Air Canada built over on the North side, and I don’t think it is anywhere to be seen in the earlier 1960 photos that show the other side. I think you slipped a non-1960 shot in there! (Note: I checked the actual slide and it was actually taken in July of 1961, so Jerry is correct in pointing out it could not have been taken in 1960.)

And then Ron Moor sent me the following comments:

Hi Henry I really enjoyed your video presentation of the old airport. I started working there with United Airlines in 1962. Just a couple of points. United had its own check in counter and offices in the West terminal along with Trans Canada Airlines.US Customs had a small office behind the counter. Checked in passengers exited out and down a covered walkway to an enclosed building where US immigration were located and the waiting room called Gate 6. All the time I was there they never used the Canadian Pacific airlines North terminal. I thought you would enjoy this.

On Sunday June 15, 1958, Aeroflot TU-104 jetliner CCCP-175445 at the Vancouver airport airshow on Sunday, June 25, 1958. It was here that Boeing’s 707 Test Pilot Tex Johnson told the TU-104 what he thought about the aircraft after having had a flight on it that day: “I have a message for the captain. Please tell him that in my twenty-one thousand hours of piloting time, the TU-104 is the sorriest damn airplane I have ever had the misfortune of flying in.”

An airshow was held on Sunday June 15, 1958 at Vancouver’s Sea Island Airport as part of the Province’s 100th anniversary celebrations. The race for leadership in the passenger jetliner market was heating up in the late 1950s with numerous aircraft builders bringing brand new jet powered airliners to the forefront.

The cold war realities brought the Americans and the Russians face-to-face at the Vancouver Airshow with Boeing bringing their new Boeing 707, and the Russians bringing their new Tupolev TU-104 jetliner. Both jetliners performed demonstration flights that day, and the story of the friction between the two competing aircraft builders was relayed to the public in newspaper stories of the day.

What follows is an account as described by the Price George Citizen paper that was headlined “Incident at Vancouver Airshow: Russian Pilot Gives – And Gets – Emphatic ‘Niet’”

The East-West curtain was parted for a day in Vancouver on Sunday, June 15, 1958, and what might have been become an international aeronautical incident, was actually averted.

The giant Russian airliner, the all-jet Tupolev TU-104, was on public view at Vancouver’s International Airport at an airshow. Air Force officials estimated 100,000 people attended the airshow, part of a two-day British Columbia centennial event.

But Russian-United States relations became a little strained at one point during the day. Captain T. T. Frolov, the Russian plane’s pilot, had been granted permission to make a courtesy flight and visit to Victoria airport from Vancouver – a mere 75 miles as the jet flies. But the trip had to be cancelled.

The flight path of the aircraft would have brought it close to the international border where San Juan Island (American Territory) juts into Canadian territorial waters in the Georgia Strait.

Captain Frolov, fearing slight drift might accidentally cause him to cross the US boundary, asked that assurances would be given so that his aircraft would not be challenged by U.S. jet interceptors. Canadian Air Force officials were told by the Americans that no such assurances would be forthcoming from the U.S. Air Force authorities.

The Russian pilot was told “Nobody will say, they the Americans won’t scramble, even if just to take a look at you.” Therefore, diplomatically, the TU-104 flight to Victoria was cancelled, and instead a courtesy flight over greater Vancouver was planned, with government officials, aviation representatives from both Canada and the USA, and newspapermen being invited aboard.

Earlier in the day, Captain Frolov and his officers were taken on a demonstration flight aboard the Boeing 707 jet Stratoliner, as guests of A. M. Tex Johnston, Chief of Flight Testing for the Boeing Aircraft Company. Once the 707 was aloft, Tex Johnston invited Captain Frolov to sit in the pilot’s seat and handle the 707’s flight controls for most of the hour-long flight.

Captain Frolov said the Boeing 707 had “beautiful flight control” and seemed impressed with Boeing’s new jetliner. Later the same day, a reciprocal invitation was extended by the Russians to the Boeing 707 crew to join the Tupolev TU-104 demonstration flight. Johnston asked if the favour could be returned so he could handle the controls of the Tupolev TU-104. Frolov said “niet”.

Johnston then asked if he could sit in the Co-Pilot’s seat and Captain Frolov again refused the request, explaining that it took two trained men to fly the Russian plane. At this point, Johnston retired from the discussion, but later said the TU-104 appeared heavy to handle and slow to respond. Tex Johnston was quoted in the media as saying “For my money their plane is obsolete”.

At the airshow’s ground display, a number of people collapsed in the 100-degree outdoor temperature near the Russian plane, which was a major attraction of the airshow. On one occasion, the barriers around the TU-104 were carried away by the crowd when told to stand back to avoid being scorched by the jet exhausts.

In his book Jet Age Test Pilot, Tex Johnston provided a detailed account of the events that took place at the 1958 Vancouver airshow. Specifically, he recalled that when they were back on the ramp upon arrival from the TU-104 demonstration flight, with the deplaning stairway in place, and the engines winding down, Tex Johnston turned to the navigator and said, “I have a message for the Captain. Please tell him that in my twenty-one thousand hours of piloting time, the TU-104 is the sorriest damn airplane I have ever had the misfortune of flying in.” The navigator sat and looked at me. “Go ahead. Tell him exactly what I said.”

As airline history would transpire in the decades after this event, the Boeing 707 family of jetliners became the staple of international jet travel, and were only replaced when more fuel efficient wide-body jetliners were delivered to the world’s airlines in the 1970s. Conversely, the Tupolev 104 was a commercial failure with only 201 airframes built by the time produced ended in 1960. The Tupolev 104 was only operated by Aeroflot and Czech State airline CSA. By comparison 1010 Boeing 707s were built by the time production of the last 707 variants ended in the early 1980s.

This interesting facet of the history of the jet race coupled with Cold War tensions, took place on the apron at YVR, some half century ago. And now you know the story!

On Sunday June 15, 1958, an Aeroflot TU-104 jetliner CCCP-175445 participated in an airshow held at Vancouver airport in celebrations supporting the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Province.

A fabulous shot of Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-104 CCCP-42416 at Lenningrad Airport in September 1974, with local observers watching the proceedings. Does not look like a safe place for a Western aviation fan to pull out his cameras and start taking photos! But Dr. John Blatherwick captured this amazing slide under such very demanding circumstances when he took this image. (Photo by Dr. John Blatherwick)

Story and photos by Dr. John Blatherwick

Dr. John Blatherwick

The person taking them would go for free. I asked if my wife could come and he said yes – for $200.00. I said I was in, Carol and I would go as their chaperones. But Carol and I were off to Hawaii in February, and it was not a problem as my friend got all the visas and made all the arrangements (he was taking a group to France).

We flew out on March 21, 1974, on World DC-8-63 N804WA. We stopped in Winnipeg and Helsinki Finland to refuel. On landing in Helsinki, the pilot slammed the aircraft down so hard he blew several tires. We had a delay of 1-2 hours in Helsinki which stretched to 12 hours. We also had a group of 200 senior high school students who spent all the time in the bar! Not our students though. We finally got to Moscow and had a wonderful time. We went to the Kremlin and saw Lenin’s body and to the Moscow ballet. We had 12 students and they were wonderful. Then we took an overnight train to Leningrad. That was funny as the students all rushed down to our section to tell us there was a woman in their compartment. Apparently the Russians placed these women in compartments to make sure there was no hanky panky!! Leningrad was wonderful. On our return flight, we landed at Goose Bay for fuel.

Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-104 CCCP-42416 at Moscow April 1974. (Photo by Dr. John Blatherwick)

About the photos taken at Leningrad airport, I was told repeatedly that you could take photos anywhere – no restrictions. But you always felt that maybe you shouldn’t. At the Leningrad airport, our flight was delayed and there were all these great aircraft out on the tarmac. I pulled out my camera and went over by the window and started taking photos with my back fully to the window to prevent people behind me seeing what I was doing. I went through a roll of film which included shots of Russian military helicopters flying by. But my students came over and asked what I was doing and I forgot where I was and start to explain about airplane photo taking and took some photos without screening the camera from view. Shortly thereafter, four men cam over and said, “Would you come with us”. They didn’t touch me but I didn’t want to find out what they would do if I resisted.

All I remember is seeing the look on Carol’s face and on others waiting for the flight as I was marched away. We came to a huge door and they knocked. A man came out and they talked with him in Russian. He suddenly got mad and started shouting at them and all four ran – actually ran – away. He then said to me in a very friendly voice, “There is no problem – I apologize for what they did to you; you can go back to your group”. And that was that – except. About 15 minutes later, he came back and said, “It would make my life a lot easier if you would give me your film and sign this document saying you voluntarily gave me the film.”

The document was in Russian and I had one of the teachers who spoke Russian to read it and he said, “All it says is you have voluntarily given him your film”. I had the greatest urge to open the back of the camera, take out the film, and quickly expose it to light, but I didn’t. I wound it into the canister and gave him the film and singed the document. Then our aircraft arrived and as we boarded, they took our visa cards. As we were waiting for the aircraft to take off, two Russian officers in uniform with rifles came down the aisle of the plane.

You can imagine that I thought they were coming for me. However, nothing happened. We took off and the relief I felt was wonderful. We stopped at Helsinki (I image gas was cheaper in Helsinki than in Leningrad); and stopped at Goose Bay on our way back. It was a trip of a lifetime!

Flight log for this trip:

21 Mar World DC‑8‑63 N804WA Full Red Vancouver Winnipeg 2.6 hrs
21 Mar World DC‑8‑63 N804WA Full Red Winnipeg Helsinki Finland 8.8 hrs
21 Mar World DC‑8‑63 N804WA Full Red Helsinki Fin. Moscow USSR 1.7 hrs
29 Mar World DC‑8‑63 N803WA Full Red Leningrad USSR Helsinki Finland 0.8hrs
29 Mar World DC‑8‑63 N803WA Full Red Helsinki Goose Bay 6.5 hrs
29 Mar World DC‑8‑63 N803WA Full Red Goose Bay Vancouver 6.4 hrs

Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134 CCCP-65613 at Moscow April 1974. (Photo by Dr. John Blatherwick)

Aeroflot IL-18 CCCP-75229 at Moscow APril 1974. (Photo by Dr. J. Blatherwick)

Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-104 CCCP-42464 at Moscow in April, 1974. (Photo by Dr. John Blatherwick)

Henry Tenby thoroughly enjoying his time soaking up the action on the open air observation deck at Amsterdam Schiphol airport.

As an avid world traveller for most of the half century I have been on this planet, and a full-fledged airline freak, I have spent a lot of time over the passing decades visiting airports for fun, travel, leisure and business. I am one of those people who actually loves spending time at an airport, soaking up the atmosphere, watching aircraft, hanging out at the gate, or putting my feet up in my favourite lounges.

That said, not all airports are equal when it comes to checking all the check boxes for the items that make a fun and memorable airport visit, in my books. But Amsterdam Airport is one of those airports that is a full-fledged destination in its own right, that as an aviation fan I can spend an entire 2-3 days visit encamped at and thoroughly enjoy my time.

It has a hell of a lot to offer, the time passes quickly, and it is an airport that I always enjoy visiting and look forward to visiting again. For all of the reasons I present below, Amsterdam Schiphol airport is actually my favourite airport in the entire world!

1. World Class Observation Deck
Certainly in North America, open air observation decks are a thing of the distant past. God forbid airports in North America can offer such a lovely facility to their community. They will say it cannot be done due to security concerns. What a load of bollocks. I am not going to get into that debate but I will say the more family orientated you make your airport, the better a place it will be and you end up with a wold class airport, not a highly crowded, unpleasant box of a building that processes passengers in a boring, sterile environment. Airport planners the world over need to take a page from the book at Amsterdam Schiphol!

An aviation enthusiast’s dream come true! A lovely open air observation deck with expansive views of the whole airport is what awaits visitors to Amsterdam’s famous Schiphol airport.

The large open expanse of the open air observation deck at Amsterdam Schiphol is a tourist attraction in its own right. The locals love visiting this location to spend time with children and families while at the airport. It is such a lovely feature that most airports have completely ignored as we approach the 2020s.

Another fine view of the busy activity at Amsterdam Schiphol airport as viewed from the lovely open air observation terrace.

2. Airliner On Top Of The Observation Deck
The real crowning touch for an airline buff, in addition to having an open air observation deck that is not behind thick glass or chain link fence, is to have an actual airliner on the said open air observation deck that you can actually go inside and soak up the atmosphere. Either rest your feet by taking a seat in the passenger cabin, or pay a visit to the flight deck. The choice is yours at Amsterdam Schiphol! They get top marks on this attribute. How many airports in the world other than Amsterdam Schiphol offer an actual, fully complete airliner that you can visit, that sits on top of their observation deck? The answer is zero!

Another nice view of KLM Fokker 100 atop the observation deck at Amsterdam Schiphol airport. A popular destination for kids!

Nice under belly view of the KLM Fokker 100 that sits atop the observation deck at Amsterdam Schiphol airport. You can even go inside the Fokker 100 to take a seat or view the flightdeck.

KLM Fokker 100 on display on top of the observation deck at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

Why not take a visit to the KLM Fokker 100 that sits atop the observation deck at Amsterdam Schiphol airport. You can take a seat to rest your feet, or view the flight deck.

A trademark Amsterdam Schiphol view. The KLM Fokker 100 that sits atop the observation deck is framed with the Schiphol control tower. You can take a photo just like this yourself, all you have to do is visit the Schiphol observation terrace next time you are lucky enough to be in Amsterdam.

3. The Airport is Home to the World’s Oldest Airline
This year 2019 is the year that KLM will be celebrating its 100th birthday. Very few other world airlines will hit this milestone soon. Perhaps Avianca, and Lufthansa might be getting close. But Lufthansa is not the continuation of the same company as it was re organized after World War 2 as new company. Whereas KLM has been a continuation of the very same company since its initial founding just a few years after the end of World War One! I love KLM, it is a great airline, the staff are super friendly and nice, and their global brand and image with the trademark blue and the Royal crown are recognizable the world over. You’d have to be living at the bottom of the ocean or under a rock to not be instantly familiar with the KLM Royal Dutch airline brand. It is a great airline that is headquartered at a great airport, and for me, that counts a lot!

Of course KLM and Schiphol airport are joined at the hip, and have been for about 100 years now! This nice view is from the shopping concourse windows which are plentiful, once you pass through the security checks to board your flight.

4. The Airport Still Has Plenty of Passenger 747-400s On Scheduled Flights
A great airport has to be served by great aircraft, this is a must! If an airport only has boring airplanes then the airport gets very low marks in my books. This is my strong view as a hard-core airline freak.

Ideally I want to be able to fly out of an airport on classic jetliners. Of course the vintage first generation jetliners like the 707 and DC-8 are long gone (with exception to a small number of air forces that still operate some airframes as military and VIP transports and refuel birds). But that does not mean you have to accept second best like Airbus 340s or 767-200s. Today, I believe the 747-400 pax bird is the best classic jetliner you can possibly fly on.

All the US carriers have sadly dumped the 747-400s from their fleets. How stupid, given the aircraft are so iconic, safe, reliable and offer the passengers such a high level of comfort and passenger appeal. To phase them out in favour of plastic new gen Airbus and Boeing aircraft was premature thinking. Just look across the north Atlantic for common sense and inspiration. We have Lufthansa in Germany still operating their 747-400 classics. And of course we have KLM Royal Dutch Airlines still operating their beautiful fleet of Boeing 747-400 classics, all based from Amsterdam Schiphol airport. Where you can still fly on them on select North American routes and Caribbean routes to the ABC Islands.

KLM still operates a magnificent fleet of Boeing 747-400 classics. But sadly their days are numbered as the 747-400 fleet will be gradually retired over the next few years. What not a better place to see them at than Amsterdam’s famous Schiphol airport.

Nice big nose view! KLM 747-400 classic PH-BFW at the gate at Amsterdam’s famous Schiphol airport.

Amother very nice view of a KLM 747-400 classic PH-BFW at the gate at Amsterdam’s famous Schiphol airport.

5. The Lounge Has A 20 Out Of 10 Apron View
Not only do I like spending time at airports, I also very much enjoy my rest and relaxation time at the airport lounges. To be hurdled about an airport with the teaming hoards of Calcutta is not my idea of a good time. Thank you very much. I prefer to be in a quiet, luxurious lounge where I can put my feet up, check my emails, read, have a nice meal, enjoy a drink or two, or perhaps have a quiet snooze while I pass the time waiting for my flight. I would not think of travelling without having access to the lounge at any airport I happen to pass through on my travels.

That said, there are a lot of superb lounges that I have visited at airports pretty much everywhere. But, so far, I have only found two airport lounges that offer unparalleled views of the apron activity that is worthy of pulling out a camera to shoot photos or video. One being the old Air Canada Aeroplan lounge at LAX that was atop the concourse which offered fabulous airfield views, but I think this has since closed or been moved to a less impressive vantage point. The other, which exists today, is the international departures lounge at Amsterdam Schiphol airport.

This is a 20 out of 10 lounge in my books. The main reason being that it offers excellent amenities, good food and drink, and most importantly, the view from the windows is a full-on expanse of the apron activity below. The chairs are super comfy, it is a large and airy open space, and you can sit here watching the world go by and the time waiting for your flight’s boarding time will pass all too quickly. Actually far too quickly than you would want. Because if you are like me, you will want to spend an extended period of time in the lounge because it is so good.

The airline lounge (airside post security) offers a smashing view of the airfield and aircraft and is a great place to spend quality time relaxing before your flight. The lounge offers a wide selection of drinks and snacks but can get busy so be sure to budget your time accordingly. The walking distance from the lounge to the furthest gates can take 15-20 minutes during peak period. Whatever duration of time you get to spend in the lounge, it will be well worth it!

6. Any Airport With a Boeing 747 I Can Sleep In Is Top of My List!
This is not a pipe dream! Very soon (late 2019) you will be able to sleep on board a de-commissioned KLM Boeing 747-400 at the Corendon Hotel at Schiphol airport. This will be the first time a retired airliner has been deployed as a boutique hotel at a world class airport location. The KLM Boeing 747-400 was retired last year and in early February of 2019, the big jet was re-positioned from the active area of the airport to its new hotel location (adjacent to the ibis) during the dead of night moving at a snail’s pace using a specially designed roller transport system. It will take several months for the 747 to be retrofitted with a new hotel accommodation interior. This amazing landmark is just another layer of icing on the cake as to why Amsterdam Schiphol airport has ten reasons why it my favourite airport in the world, and all the other airports in the world are not!

If sleep in a de-commissioned KLM 747-400 is on your bucket list, the Corendon Hotel at Amsterdam Schiphol airport is your ticket! Later this year they will open their 747 hotel for guest visits, and I cannot wait to take them up on it! The best room will have to be those in the upper deck just behind the flight deck. Or the rooms over wing with nice engine views. I wonder if the beds will have an option rumble mode to simulate engine cruise at FL 390. (photo by Anthony Hickey, Schiphol Feb 24, 2019)

7. The Airport Has An Interesting Mix Of Traffic
Not all airports are created equally in this department. Some hub airports are dead boring. If an airport is 95% Delta or Ryanair it can get pretty boring for the visiting aviation fan rather quickly. This is not the case here at Amsterdam Schiphol. To the contrary, Schiphol has an excellent mix of international traffic and the observation deck is never a boring place. Some of the Amsterdam aviation locals have become part of the furniture, just like at Heathrow where grizzled spotters with telescopes have been encamped at their posts since before Wham! split up. If not longer (since the Beatles broke up!) Airlines from former Dutch colonies feature quite heavily at Schiphol including Surinam Airways and Garuda Indonesia. Delta maintains an impressive presence with some 10 plus flights daily to various US gateway cities. An interesting mix of cargo jets from Asia add to the flavour to make this European hub airport one of the best on the Continent, easily on a par with Frankfurt.

Make a wish! Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 framed with a rainbow at Amsterdam Schiphol airport as seen from the boarding gate windows.

Privilege Triple Seven 300ER “Auria” at Amsterdam Schiphol airport viewed from the boarding gate.

Typical view from the observation deck at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

A Delta A330 pushes back off the gate at Amsterdam Schiphol airport as viewed from the magnificent open air observation deck.

Garuda Indonesia 777-300ER having been pushed back from departure at Amsterdam Schiphol airport.

8. Any Airport With a Local Aviation Hobby Shop Gets Tops Marks
It was the British to created the airport based hobby shop concept back in the 1970s, with Brian Austria-Tomkins and his Executive Display Models based at the Sheraton Skyline Hotel at Heathrow airport. His lovely models were extremely expensive back in the 1990s, which was when I used to visit the shop to admire the fabulous models offered for sale. The Executive Display Models were primarily the domain of the resident oil sheiks who had models produced of their personal aircraft. I would take the bus from Heathrow over to the hotel just to dream about the models, and I have many memories of being outside the front of the Sheraton Skyline and watching the Concorde on full power take-off thundering down the runway reaching skyward for New York or Miami.

Just an easy ten minute bus ride from the Schiphol central bus station will take you to the world famous Aviation MegaStore which is the world’s largest aviation hobby shop. It is a destination in its own right for aviation fans, modellers, diecast and display model collectors, and pilots. The shop has a huge selection of hard-to-find aviation books and models curated from the four corners of the globe.

Half the floor space is dedicated to diecast airliner models, and there is whole room filled with filing cabinets loaded to the rafters with decals sheets, also curated from decal producers all over the world. It is not a problem to spend several hours at this shop checking out all they have to offer. The difficult task is narrowing down what you are going to purchase, unless you have an unlimited hobby budget. (Which I think many of you do have!)

The Aviation Mega Store on the perimeter of Amsterdam Schiphol airport has to be the world’s largest aviation hobby shop under one roof. They offer a massive selection of aviation books, models, hobby supplies, and even a Boeing 737 flight simulator.
Situated at 249 Molenweg in Aalsmeerderbrug, the shop is only 10 minutes by bus from the Schiphol central bus station.

9. The Attached Shopping Centre Is Excellent With Fair Prices
For a hard-core airline buff, you would not think that the presence of a shopping centre is of much importance when rating favourite airports. But it actually is, for several reasons. I use the airport as a frequent transit point between the hotel, city centre visits, and other side trips in the region. I find myself passing through the airport quite frequently when I visit cities for airline shows and aviation conventions. Often the food at hotels is costly and under par as they have a captive client base.

The Amsterdam Schiphol airport shopping centre is fantastic, and I love spending time there. The Albert Heijn supermarket offers a fabulous selection of high quality, and healthy, foods, salads, pre-made sandwiches, and yummy snacks that you simply will not find at North American airports. North American airports are all about pushing unhealthy, waist expanding comfort foods, like hamburger, pasta and pizza. The nice news at Schiphol is that you can eat healthy for very reasonable cost. Sure, they have the bad food choices too like Burger King, but there are more than enough healthy food options including the fantastic “la Place” French buffet restaurant, which is my favourite dining location at Schiphol airport. This buffet per unit costing so you pay for what you take, but the home-style cooking and fantastic atmosphere is well worth the price of admission.

At Amsterdam Schiphol airport shopping centre they have a very diverse selection of shops, with prices quite similar to what you would pay off airport. Which is a refreshing change from the elevated prices that shops charge at most other airports. I stopped in at the Rituals shop and bought some of their nice skin products, and recommend you pay them a visit if you’d like your skin to look and smell great. They are a Dutch company and I really like their products.

The fun at Amsterdam Schiphol airport is not only confined to the observation deck. The airport offers a fantastic shopping mall as well, with an excellent selection of shops and restaurants as well as several Albert Heijn grocery stores for value priced food. There is an an aviation hobby shop where you can book tickets for an airport tour.

10. The Airport Is An Easy Commute To A World Top 10 Best City
No offence, but Toronto, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Dubai may all have excellent airports, but I personally would not classify those cities as world’s best destinations. Not even close. If I am passing through YYZ, DFW, or DXB I certainly do not feel compelled to break my journey to visit the city centre to soak up the action for a touristic visit, because the airport host city is overflowing with things to see and do for the tourist.

This is absolutely not the case with Schiphol Airport and the lovely city of Amsterdam. If you have not already been to see Amsterdam, then you have to make it part of your plan next time you pass through Amsterdam Schiphol airport to make the quick and easy journey from the airport to the city centre. Amsterdam and its famous canals is beautiful.

It is a great walking city with so much to see and do. You can easily spend a full day sight-seeing, all by foot, and you will be sure to fall in love with this destination. During my last visit, just a few weeks ago, I took the city bus directly from the airport to Leidseplein Square, the bus ticket was about 10 Euros return. I did a big circle route which took me to Antiek Centrum, Prinsengracht, Singel, and then to the Rijks Museum, and finally back to Leidseplein.

I stopped for a bite to eat at Albert Heijn whenever I felt hungry, but there were other neat food options everywhere you looked. Everything from stroopwaffel to haringhandel to Surinamese food to Falafel, Donair and pizza is readily available to suit every palate. The city of Amsterdam operates with a very high load factor and of course there are a loads of tourists, and foot traffic can be busy on the main streets. That said, without a doubt, no visit to Amsterdam Schiphol airport would be complete with a visit to the old city centre of Amsterdam.

Even if you are a hard core airline freak, when visiting Amsterdam you have to take a break from the airport and head into Amsterdam for a day of exploring this amazing water city. It is a 20 out of 10 city, take it from Henry Tenby that you won’t be disappointed!

BONUS REASON 11. Amsterdam Schiphol has the Polderbaan Spotting location!

My video is pretty much self-explanitory.

Henry Tenby enjoys a visit to the VIP lounge at Izmir Adnan Menderes International Airport.

On September 18, 2018, I enjoyed a few hours in the VIP lounge on the departures gate level (airside) at Izmir’s Adnan Menderes International Airport prior to our flight back to Istanbul. We had been in Cesme for a short rest and relaxation break, which included a visit to the amazing ancient city of Ephesus. It was a lovely visit, the weather was beautiful, and I look forward to enjoying many more such visits in the future.

As a Priority Pass member, this gives me lounge access whenever I travel. So this was my first visit through Izmir airport, save for our arrival several days prior, when we were keen to pick up our rental vehicle for the drive to Cesme. We arrived at Izmir airport about three or four hours early to leave good buffer time before our flight to Istanbul, which gave us a leisure visit to the Izmir VIP lounge.

As shown in the photos below, the lounge is all glass and provides a fabulous view of the apron below, which is perfect for aircraft spotters and photographers. Although the traffic is pretty monotonous with repeating Turkish domestic carriers during the course of our visit. The food at the lounge included a standard variety of drinks and coffees, as well as the standard Turkish food staples including cheeses, olives, and light snacks.

As is clearly evident in the colour slides taken in 1971 by the late Rick Wargo, we can see that maintenance was performed on an assortment of US military transport aircraft at this location. Specifically, the China Airlines hangar was either made available to the US military to conduct depot repairs, or repairs were contracted out to the airline. The fact that in some of the photos we can see that the hangar roof signage “China Airlines” has been changed to “INA AIRLINES” suggests that the airline did not want to advertise whatever the arrangement might have been, whatever the case.

Taipei’s Sung Shan airport is very much a city airport in that it is very close to the city centre, and in later years a larger international airport (CKS) was constructed quite some distance from the city. That said, to this very day, Sung Shan remains a very busy and popular airport, largely serving airlines that connect Taipei to other cities on the airline and in the region.

But back in 1971, the international traffic at Taipei Sung Shan airport was rather impressive. The presence of Flying Tigers Douglas DC-8-63s, and Northwest Orient and TWA Boeing 707s, suggests the airport was a popular transit point for long haul services bring US servicemen from the Continental US to serve their tours of duty in the Vietnam War. Many of these very flights might have also had transit stops at Honolulu, which was also a popular Vietnam War charter transit location.

The regional airline scene of the day was also extremely interesting with Korean Airlines Boeing 720, JAL DC-8-61, Philippine Airlines DC-8 (series -30 and -50), Cathay Pacific Convair 880, Thai International DC-8-30, and Hang Khong 727-100 presence at Sung Shan also being noted in the period photos.

The ROC Taiwan domestic airline scene was a lot less developed than today, with local service provided by China Airlines NAMC YS-11, 727-100 and DC-4 aircraft, and Far Easter Air Transport Dart Heralds. It seems the photo vantage points at Sung Shan airport in 1972 consisted of an elevated apron view from the airport terminal building, as well as several outside photo spots by the runway and taxiway. It is believed that excellent photo spots remain near the airport ring road under the final approach, as the close confines of the city’s developments require aircraft to make very low approaches over the road.

Of course we must be very grateful that the late Rick Wargo took these very interesting photos, and we extend very special thanks to Rick’s wife Karen for making these images available so they could be shared and enjoyed.

China Air Lines DC-4 at company hangar at Taipei Sung Shan airport 1971. Notice the “China Airlines” name on the hangar roof. This was changed soon after this image was taken, as explained below.

Awesome view of FEAT Far Eastern Air Transport Dart Herald B-2011 at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971. Notice all the USAF military transports parked at the “INA AIRLINES” hangar. A fictitious name most likely, as these aircraft were receiving maintenance here in support of the Vietnam War efforts. And China Airlines preferred not to advertise the fact.

Philippine Airlines DC-8-30 PI-C829 operating a sked service from Manila at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971.

US Navy C-47 South East Asian based aircraft at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971. Notice the Chinese characters on the forward fuselage.

USAF Lockheed C140 Jetstar O-35960 at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971. Probably on a maintenance visit or some other Vietnam War related VIP charter. Note the Vietnam War camouflage scheme. This aircraft was used to test navigational aids.

China Airlines Boeing 727-100 at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971. Probably taken soon after her initial delivery from Boeing.

Hang Khong Viet Nam Airlines Boeing 727-100 at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971. Most probably operating a sked service from South Vietnam.

Northwest Orient Boeing 707-351 N367US on a Vietnam War troop charter at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971.

Malaysia Singapore Airlines Boeing 707 at Taipei Sung Shan airport 1971.

Nice nose on shot of a Thai DC-8-40 at Taipei Sung Shan airport 1971.

Korean AIr Lines Boeing 720 HL7403 at Taipie Sung Shan Airport November 1971.

China Airlines DC-4 about to touch down at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971.

Northwest Orient Boeing 707-351 N366US on a Vietnam War troop charter at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971.

TWA Boeing 707 turning onto the active at Taipei Sung Shan airport 1971. Probably Vietnam troop charter.

Southern Air Transport Lockheed Hercules at Taipei Sung Shan airport 1971. Most certainly a Vietnam War related supply charter.

Philippine Airlines DC-8-50 PC-C803 operating a sked service at Taipei Sung Shan airport November, 1971.

Japan Air Lines DC-8-61 JA8041 scheduled service at Taipei Sung Shan airport 1971.

China Airlines NAMC YS-11 B-158 landing at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971. This type was very short lived with China Airlines and photos are quite rare.

Thai International DC-8-30 HS-TGO operating a sked service Flying Tigers DC-8-63 N782FT operating a Vietnam War charter at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971.

Flying Tigers DC-8-63 N782FT operating a Vietnam War charter at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971.

Fabulous view of Cathay Pacific Convair 880 VR-HFY at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971 on her way to the active for the return sked flight back to home base of Hong Kong Kai Tak.

Flying Tigers DC-8-63 mid apron at Taipei Sung Shan airport circa 1971. Most likely operating a Vietnam War charter.

In late November and early December of 2014, I had the opportunity to pass through Shanghai’s Pudong Airport on several occasions during my travels in the region.

By arriving at the gate area for my flights early, this gave plenty of opportunity to take photos. I had a mix of weather, but the traffic was quite interesting, with quite a few Boeing 747-400s still making regular appearances at this airport.

It was good to see 747-400s of Delta, Asiana, United, China Airlines, and even a 747-200 Freighter of Connie Kalitta, which is a regular visitor to Pudong. The Air Canada 787 and Nippon Cargo 747-800 mixed company with Emirates A380 and Malaysian A330 as sun started to set, but the action was almost non stop for the two hours I had while we awaited the departure of our 787 back to Vancouver.

The windows in the departure areas as quite clean, and there is no problem for hobbyists to take photos at this aircraft. Have your camera on your lap when you sit in your seat on your aircraft as there are some good photo opportunities when you depart and arrive Pudong. On our ANA 767-300 flight to Osaka KIX I was able to get some neat views of the Pudong terminal building from a few thousand feet abeam the mid section of the airport.

In the mid 1990s when Kai Tak was Hong Kong’s crown jewel airport of the region, it attracted aviation fans and photographers from all over the world to experience the heart-pounding action of the famous checkerboard approach.

I made several visits to Hong Kong back in the day to experience Kai Tak first hand. And during those visits, I also made several visits to Guangzhou (formerly Canton) to soak up the action on mainland China.

Unlike the wide-body hustle and bustle of Kai Tak, Guangzhou served up generous portions of mainland China airline action, and back then, many of the Chinese fleets still used Russian jetliners including IL-86, Yak-42 and Tu-154 classics. So the appeal was more than obvious!

The following article was written for Airliners magazine and documented one such memorable visit. I was also able to shoot video of my visit which is available as a top selling aviation DVD.

The current airline scene in China is sadly nothing more than boring Boeings and plastic Airbuses. But back then, it was an airplane lover’s dream come true!