High above, a tail fin reaches for the sky. This, my friends, is the Staartmonument KLM en Fokker Sculpture. It’s a tribute to a partnership that soared for almost a century. The Staartmonument KLM en Fokker Sculpture stands as a reminder of KLM’s connection with the Fokker brand.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has a long and storied history. For years, they celebrated each anniversary with a Delftware miniature house. In their 98th year, they chose to depict the childhood home of Anthony Fokker. This aviation pioneer’s family home was in Haarlem. The miniature replica is based on the house at Kleine Houtweg No. 65. It was in the attic of this house, overlooking the park, that young Anthony Fokker’s dreams of flight took shape. By the 1920s, he had become a leading aircraft manufacturer. His factories were located in the Netherlands and the United States.
The Staartmonument KLM en Fokker Sculpture is a poignant reminder of a significant era. KLM bid farewell to its last Fokker aircraft in October 2017. The departure of the final Fokker 70 marked the end of an era. It signified the end of Dutch-made aircraft in the KLM fleet. It also represented the end of a 97-year partnership between KLM and Fokker. The Staartmonument KLM en Fokker Sculpture stands tall, a testament to innovation and collaboration. It symbolizes the enduring spirit of Dutch aviation.