Albert Plesman
Encyclopedia
Dr. Albert Plesman was a Dutch
pioneer in aviation
and founder of KLM, the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name.
He was born as the son of an egg trader from The Hague
. In 1915 he joined the mobilized Dutch airforce as a professional officer, at the time still called the "militaire luchtvaartafdeling" (military aviation department), in Soesterberg. After World War I
in which the Netherlands remained neutral, he began with the organization of the ELTA, the "Eerste Luchtvaart Tentoonstelling Amsterdam" (First Aviation Exhibition Amsterdam), held from 1 August till 15 September 1919. For that occasion enormous halls (hangars) where built. Right after the exhibition these were used by Anthony Fokker
, for his new company Nederlandse Vliegtuigenfabriek (Dutch Aircraft Factory), subsequently the Fokker
airplane factory.
All these activities led to the establishment of the Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM), of which Plesman became director and made it a flourishing company. After the Second World War
Plesman was appointed president-director of KLM. After the recovery from the war the company became a renowned airline company under his leadership. Plesman pleaded in vain for a displacement of Schiphol Airport to a location near Burgerveen.
For his achievements for the international civil aviation he received in 1959 posthumously the first Edward Warner Award
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
pioneer in aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
and founder of KLM, the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name.
He was born as the son of an egg trader from The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. In 1915 he joined the mobilized Dutch airforce as a professional officer, at the time still called the "militaire luchtvaartafdeling" (military aviation department), in Soesterberg. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in which the Netherlands remained neutral, he began with the organization of the ELTA, the "Eerste Luchtvaart Tentoonstelling Amsterdam" (First Aviation Exhibition Amsterdam), held from 1 August till 15 September 1919. For that occasion enormous halls (hangars) where built. Right after the exhibition these were used by Anthony Fokker
Anthony Fokker
Anton Herman Gerard "Anthony" Fokker was a Dutch aviation pioneer and an aircraft manufacturer. He is most famous for the fighter aircraft he produced in Germany during the First World War such as the Eindecker monoplanes, the Fokker Triplane the and the Fokker D.VII, but after the collapse of...
, for his new company Nederlandse Vliegtuigenfabriek (Dutch Aircraft Factory), subsequently the Fokker
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
airplane factory.
All these activities led to the establishment of the Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM), of which Plesman became director and made it a flourishing company. After the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Plesman was appointed president-director of KLM. After the recovery from the war the company became a renowned airline company under his leadership. Plesman pleaded in vain for a displacement of Schiphol Airport to a location near Burgerveen.
For his achievements for the international civil aviation he received in 1959 posthumously the first Edward Warner Award
Edward Warner Award
The Edward Warner Award is an award that's given in the field of aviation to aviation pioneers or organizations that have contributed to civil aviation. The award is named after Dr. Edward Pearson Warner, the first President of the council of ICAO....
.