Anthony Fokker

Was Anthony Fokker a brilliant innovator or a cunning opportunist? Here at his grave, the question hangs in the air as heavy as the Dutch skies. Anthony Fokker, the “Flying Dutchman,” a name whispered with a mix of awe and suspicion. He was born far from these shores, in Blitar, Dutch East Indies, in 1890. Yet, his legacy is inextricably linked to the Netherlands, and to the tumultuous skies of the First World War. Fokker’s story is one of daring, innovation, and controversy. He established his first aircraft company, Fokker Aeroplanbau, near Berlin in 1912. When war erupted, his factory came under German control, churning out iconic aircraft like the Eindecker and the dreaded Dr.I triplane, flown by the Red Baron himself. Fokker’s name became synonymous with the “Fokker Scourge,” a period of German air superiority, thanks in part to his controversial interrupter gear. This invention, which allowed machine guns to fire through a spinning propeller, was shrouded in controversy, with whispers of plagiarism and prior developments. But Fokker, ever the showman, embraced the notoriety. As the war concluded, Fokker faced a dilemma. The Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany from producing aircraft. In a move as audacious as his inventions, he smuggled six trainloads of aircraft parts and whole planes back to the Netherlands. This act, a blend of brilliance and blatant disregard for regulations, allowed him to establish the Nederlandse Vliegtuigenfabriek, the precursor to the Fokker Aircraft Company. Here, he shifted his focus to civilian aircraft, designing the successful Fokker F.VII/3m trimotor. This plane, a symbol of interwar air travel, carried Amelia Earhart across the Atlantic and Charles Kingsford Smith around the world. Fokker’s life was as turbulent as the skies he conquered. His marriages were short-lived, his business dealings often questionable. Yet, his charisma and undeniable genius propelled him to the forefront of aviation history. Even in death, Anthony Fokker remains an enigma. A complex figure whose contributions to aviation are both celebrated and debated, here at his final resting place.