Report by Henry Tenby
Copyright 2020

As a hard core aviation fan, and a frequent visitor to airports and a fan of nice bars and restaurants while on the road, I had the very pleasant surprise to find the new 747 SKYBAR at the Corendon Hotel at Amsterdam Schiphol airport. This airport is famous for their on site attraction in the form of a retired former KLM Boeing 747-400. Along with a couple of friends we went to visit the 747, which was unfortunately closed to public access, so we were unable to go inside and have a look. But we did look at the enormous airliner at ground level and took some nice photos.

As it was cold, we went into the Corendon hotel to warm up and have a tea at their lobby restaurant. We asked about the possibility to take an elevator to the top floor to take a nice photo of their 747 with a view looking down on the aircraft from a dozen stories in the air. The front desk told us we would be able to do this by visiting their 747 SKYBAR on the top floor of the hotel, when it opened during the lunch hour.

So we waited in the lobby having our teas, warming up, and then headed up to the SKYBAR as soon as it opened and we were on the very first elevator of the day. I was totally impressed when I got up there, and was blown away by the fabulous view! Yes, the view of their Corendon 747-400 was excellent, but even more impressive is the bar and restaurant facilities and the wrap around windows which afford unlimited views to Schiphol Airport and the runway action. And they even have an outdoor roof-top beer garden which although was open, it was too cold to sit and relax during the winter months. But the outdoor terrace will be an amazing place to soak up the action when the weather improves with the warmer summer months.

The staff are very friendly and welcoming, and it goes without saying the avgeeks are more than welcome to visit the bar to soak up the action, provided of course that visitors partake in drinks or items from their generous menu. Not only is the Corendon SKYBAR a day time attraction, when the sun goes down this is rapidly becoming a star attraction for the night time cocktail bar crowd and those looking for an elegant place to relax with friends in an airport environment with a fabulous skyline view of the sprawling Amsterdam airport complex.

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.

For more information about the Amsterdam Aviation Fair please visit their website at www.aviationfair.com

(Please see bottom of page for 17 minute full version of the above show video)
I had the opportunity to attend the 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair, this being their second annual airline collectibles show. The venue was the Van der Valk Hotel Schiphol A4, which is easily reached by the regular free hotel shuttle from the airport. The one day show is open to the public between 10 am and 5 pm, and this year the show featured an amazing 270+ tables with nearly 1500 people in attendance, with hard-core collectors and attendees coming from all over Europe, Turkey, Canada, the US and Japan.

In some 30 years of attending such shows, I can honestly say this was perhaps the best and biggest airline show I have ever attended. Certainly in the past 20 years. I overhead attendees saying “this show is like these shows were in the 1980s and 1990s” before the internet and online auction website caused the decline of such shows with much trader activity moving to online platforms like ebay. A lot of people missed the golden age of these shows, and it is so refreshing to attend a show like this in 2019 and to see such a high level of enthusiasm and excitement for airline collectibles.

Unlike the shows I have attended in the US post 2000, where most of the attendees are the show table holders, this was absolutely not the case at the 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair. I am not privy as to the foot traffic generated by US/Canadian shows, but it does not seem like they are able to generate this level of foot traffic in this day and age. Specially when North American shows are held at smaller cities that do not have a massive historical aviation/airline presence like Miami, New York, Los Angeles and Seattle.

The Amsterdam show has pretty much eclipsed every show on the planet except perhaps the US Airliners Inernational annual event. The reason for this could be the central location of Amsterdam and ease of reach by collectors all over the Europe. Another contributing factor in the show’s rapid success, has to be the massive floor space offered for the venue by the Van der Valk Hotel. It is not easy to find such a central and easily reachable hotel with such a large convention space to host upwards of 300 tables and 1500 attendees (including table holders).

It goes without says that the organizing committee for the Amsterdam Aviation Fair puts a lot of time and effort into planning and promoting their show, which happens on a year round basis. Without their amazing efforts this level if rapid success could not be achieved.

As with all shows, all sorts of airline collectibles imaginable are offered for sale at the show. But for travel agent model collectors the show for some reason attracts a massive selection of lovely models for sale, which you simply do not see at any other show at this level. So for that reason alone, I will make all efforts to attend this show in coming years.

For more information about the Amsterdam Aviation Fair please visit their website at www.aviationfair.com

The second annual Amsterdam Aviation Fair took place at the Van der Valk Hotel Schiphol A4 on Sunday, February 24, 2019. For collectors of travel agent models and aircraft display models, this was an amazing show. I have been attending airline collectibles shows for the past 30 years, and collecting display models for just a s long, and can honestly say this show was the best show I have ever attended for models.

Model collectors congregated at the show from the US, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, France and other countries and there were table holders with models for sale of course from the Netherlands, as well as Germany, and France. For collectors of Verkuyl models, given that Matthias Verkuyl was based in Badhoevedorp where he produced his fine models from the 1950s to the 1990s, it only made sense that there was a large number of Verkuyl models for sale at this show.

Two notable collections of display models were recently brought to market after the collectors had released their collection due to old age, and the presence of these two collections at the Amsterdam Aviation Fair 2019 made this a special once-in-a-lifetime buying opportunity for model collectors. The reason being that many of the offered display models were old and rare, and they are not models that present themselves for purchase on a frequent basis.

My videos and photos below give a very good idea of the models that were offered for sale at the show. My suggestion for fellow collectors is to make plans to attend the next year’s Amsterdam Aviation Fair so as not to miss out on getting some really amazing models for your collection. You really do need to make the effort to attend the show because almost all of the display model sellers are only selling their models privately in person-to-person dealings at the show as they do not sell their models online via websites or auction sites like ebay.

If you see models you are interested in, make the effort and attend the next year show. You can get all the latest up to date information about the Amsterdam Aviation Fair by visiting their website www.aviationfair.com

Amazing period 1950s wooden ID model of a Bristol Freighter refinished into Aeropostal Venezuela colours. A really accurate and mazing model.

Side profile view: Amazing period 1950s wooden ID model of a Bristol Freighter refinished into Aeropostal Venezuela colours. A really accurate and mazing model.

This is a very nice 1990s era Lufthansa DC-3 that was made by Verkuyl for the collectors market.

This is believed to be a wooden ID model of a C-119 that was possibly refinished by Verkuyl into Syrian Arab Airlines livery. It sits on a Verkuyl base.

A lovely 1950s era Walker Westway 1/72 scale South African Airways Vickers Viscount 800 metal travel agent model. In very nice condition for its age.

Top view, this is a very nice 1990s era Lufthansa DC-3 that was made by Verkuyl for the collectors market.

Nice top view of what is believed to be a wooden ID model of a C-119 that was possibly refinished by Verkuyl into Syrian Arab Airlines livery. It sits on a Verkuyl base.

Selection of vintage models for sale at the 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair. With exception to the DC-8 and Convair these are all wooden models.

The star of the show! This is an original 1950s era KLM Flying Dutchman Lockheed Super Constellation model made by Raise Up. Period models with tip tanks on the Connie makes this a particularly collectible model for collectors.

A 1/72 scale Beech 18 and Focke Wolfe 200 both believed to be refinished metal ID models

Close up view of the wooden ID models of Pan American flying boat and Aeropostal Bristol Freighter.

Big Raise Up KLM 1/50 DC-8 at top, with Verkulyl Martinair DC-8 1/100 in metal, a 1/50 Martinair Convair 640 in resin and an assortment of refinished wooden ID models, all offered for sale at the Amsterdam Aviation Fair 2019.

At the Amsterdam Aviation Fair 2019 there was a large selection of Verkuyl Fokker house livery models. The Verkuyl Fokker models in factory liveries are miuch more valuable than the house livery models, of which there must have been thousands produced in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Matthias Verkuyl produced a range of 1/72 classic propliners in metal. Two examples are these 1/72 Stratocruisers in Northwest and United liveries, each bring priced in the 1200 Euro range.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Matthias Verkuyl produced a range of 1/72 classic propliners in metal. This Braniff International Airways Lockheed 749 Connie in 1/72 scale is one such example, priced at 1200 Euros.

This is an original 1950s era Lockheed L749 Connie in period BOAC livery. I believe this model is in 1/100 scale and it appears to be mounted on its original period stand. Not sure of the maker, the price is 850 Euros.

This fabulous photo presents many of the wonderful models from a collector who recently exited the hobby due to old age, and his collection was presented for sale at the Amsterdam Aviation Fair 2019.

This appears to be a 1/100 Raise Up QANTAS Lockheed Super Connie on a replacement stand, being offered at 1100 Euros at the 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair.

In the background is a Verkuyl 1/72 metal National Lockheed Super Connie (at 1150 Euros). In the foreground is a small scale metal Air France Deux Ponts, most likely a refinished ID model.

Another view of the wonderful models from a collector who recently exited the hobby due to old age, and his collection was presented for sale at the Amsterdam Aviation Fair 2019.

Some modern and lowered priced travel agent display models offered for sale at the 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair.

These models are offered for sale from a long established collector of many decades who recently offered his collection for sale due to old age. Many of these models are military ID models and vintage oldies models that are the types of models you see for sale only once in a lifetime.

The 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair also featured sellers offering old toys and tin plate models or airliners for sale.

The large scale Fokker 100 cutaway model is a highlight piece on the table of Patrick van Rooijen, the Managing Organizer of the Amsterdam Aviation Fair.

Another view of the large scale Fokker 100 cutaway model from the late 1980s or early 1990s that was the highlight piece on the table of Patrick van Rooijen, the Managing Organizer of the Amsterdam Aviation Fair.

These models were for sale on the tables of Patrick van Rooijen, the Managing Organizer of the Amsterdam Aviation Fair. He sold the large Air Canada DC-8-63, and the 1/50 scale Uzbekistan IL-76.

Another different view of the larger models that were for sale on the tables of Patrick van Rooijen, the Managing Organizer of the Amsterdam Aviation Fair. He sold the large Air Canada DC-8-63, Martinair DC-10, and the 1/50 scale Uzbekistan IL-76.

This is a unique model of a 1920/30s era Lufthansa Junkers. Although the mixture of modern and vintage liveries is questionable. The model measures about 30 X 30 cm and appears to be of vintage manufacture, possibly hand built. It is certainly is an accurate model and classifies as being unique, as this will likely be the one and only such model like this a collector is likely to see in an entire lifetime of collecting.

Another view from one of the surplus collections of vintage civil and military ID and display models, as offered for sale at the 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair.

Another selection of budget priced value models from the modern era offered for sale at the 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair. These entry level models are ideal for new collectors entering the hobby.

Another selection of budget priced value models from the modern era offered for sale at the 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair. These entry level models are ideal for new collectors entering the hobby.

1950s on top, 1960s and 1970s down below. A nice selection of many Verkuyl models highlight this photo of models offered for sale a the 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair.

A nice 1/50 fibreglass TAP Portugal 727-100 travel agent model for sale at the Amsterdam Aviation Fair 2019.

Once-in-a-lifetime modes. This amazing collection of refinished ID models (metal and wood) are from a long term collector who recently released his collection to the marketplace. They were all offered for sale at the Amsterdam Aviation Fair 2019.

This is the table of models for sale of display model collector David Bourgaud from Paris, as presented at the 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair.

Some more modern models offered for sale at the 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair.

For the corporate model collector, a table with an interesting selection including three Mu-2s.

Fokker house models by IMC and Verkuyl were in good supply at fair prices at the 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair.

Some vintage Mystere metal models from the 1950s at 150 Euros per model, at the 2019 Amsterdam Aviation Fair.

Niels Dam and Henry Tenby give the “thumbs up” to the 2018 Amsterdam Aviation Fair.

It was truly an amazing success! There were over 200 tables and 1000+ plus attendees which makes it the world’s largest airline collectibles show! It certainly rivals or exceeds the size of some of the US national Airliners International Conventions, which were considered the grand-daddy of airline hobby shows.

Everything under the sun for airline fans were at the show. There was a huge selection of aircraft models, both the professional display models and diecasts, and huge amounts of books, printed matter, pins, posters, and massive assortments bric-a-brack airline collectibles.

I can’t wait for next year’s AMS show and wish them all the best in their organizing this awesome event!

We offer a very special thanks to Patrick van Rooijen and his team for staging such an amazing event! For show details please visit http://aviationfair.com

This is show organizer Patrick van Rooijen (far right) officiating the door prize raffle.