The Saint Nicholas feast is part of Dutch tradition and folklore. In Dutch
language it is called Sint Nicolaas or more familiar: Sinterklaas. Original an
annual medieval occasion to help poor citizens, it has evolved to a feast where
children receive presents on St. Nicholas Eve (5th December) or his
actual birthday (6th December), depending on the region. The feast is
celebrated in the Netherlands as well as in parts south of the Netherlands like
Belgium, Luxemburg and northern France. Also, some former Dutch colonies have
kept the tradition alive. Historians generally consider the Saint Nicholas feast
actually being the source for Santa Claus, who has become popular in many
Anglo-Saxon countries.
A detailed essay on Sinterklaas goes beyond the scope of this article, but the
figures playing a role in the festivities are important to understand the
context (Wikipedia has a very informative lemma on Sinterklaas, also in
English). Sinterklaas is based on the legend of Saint Nicholas, a Greek bishop
of Myra in present Turkey, who was known for his generosity and thus became the
patron saint of children. Traditionally Sinterklaas is pictured as an old man
with a white beard, dressed like a bishop in ceremonial red and golden robe and
miter, carrying a golden bishop’s staff. He uses a white or grey horse for
transportation and he is always accompanied by a few assistants who are dressed
in Moorish attire and who carry large bags containing the presents.
According to the tradition, these helpers are black faced, hence their name
Zwarte Piet (Black Pete). However, in recent years a controversy has arisen
since some people do regard Black Pete as racial discrimination. As a
consequence, the Zwarte Piet figure is becoming more and more white now. In the
legend Sinterklaas is living in Spain (Spanje in Dutch) and travels to the
Netherlands each year by the end of November, using his steamboat for
transporting his entire staff, his horse and all presents for the children. The
arrival of Sinterklaas on his steamboat marks the start of a 2-3-week period
prior to the actual feast, during which period Sinterklaas, often abbreviated as
just Sint, is visiting schools, hospitals, clubs and other places where children
are together.
It was not unusual for employers to organize special Sinterklaas events for the
children of their coworkers and the Fokker factory was no exception. As an
advanced technological company, Fokker had Sinterklaas arrive by airplane
instead of on his steamboat and these airplanes (of course always Fokkers) were
most of the time adorned with special text and/or characteristic cartoons for
the feast. After the demise of Fokker, the tradition was continued by Fokker
Services at Woensdrecht airport. Although we have tried to document as many of
these special Fokkers as possible, several gaps remain in our overview (see
below), so all assistance for supplementing it, is more than welcome. Please
send your information and/or pictures to the editor.
Year |
c/n |
Registration |
Operator’s livery |
Remarks |
Location |
1958 |
10101 |
PH-NIV |
Fokker |
No special titles |
AMS |
1961 |
10191 |
PH-FDF |
Philippine Air Lines |
No special titles |
AMS |
1962 |
10214 |
PH-FED |
Indian Airlines |
No special titles |
AMS |
1963 |
10238 |
PH-FFD |
Sudan Airways |
No special titles |
AMS |
1964 |
10264 |
PH-FGF |
Air New South Wales |
No special titles |
AMS |
1965 |
10288 |
PH-FIF |
ATI |
No special titles |
AMS |
1966 |
10310 |
PH-FKE |
?? |
?? |
AMS |
1971 |
10472 |
PH-SINT |
Fokker |
White and grey c/s with ‘Sint Nicolaas feest bij
Fokker’ titles, Sint & Piet cartoons on tail |
AMS |
1975 |
11093 |
PH-ZBL |
|
‘Spanje’ titles |
|
1979 |
11127 |
PH-BBV |
Fokker |
Basic NLM Cityhopper c/s with ‘Spanje’ titles and Sint, Piet and horse
cartoon |
AMS |
1980 |
11163 |
PH-EXW |
Fokker |
'Spanje' titles and Sint & Piet stickers |
AMS |
1981 |
11001 |
PH-JHG |
Fokker |
‘Spanje’ titles at passengers door |
AMS |
1982 |
11001 |
PH-JHG |
Fokker |
‘Spanje’ titles and large cartoon sticker |
AMS |
1983?? |
11093 |
PH-ZBL |
|
|
|
1984 |
11219 |
PH-NCR |
Fokker |
White and grey c/s with Sinterklaas cartoon, no titles |
AMS |
1987 |
10688 |
PH-OSI |
|
|
|
1988 |
11242 |
PH-MKH |
Fokker |
‘Air Nicolaas’ titles, name ‘Madrid’ and Sinterklaas cartoon |
AMS |
1989 |
11242 |
PH-MKH |
Fokker |
Large ‘Air Madrid’ titles |
AMS |
1991 |
11364 |
PH-EZA |
All white |
‘Spanje’ titles and Sint & Piet cartoon |
AMS |
1992 |
11429 |
PH-LXA |
China Eastern |
‘Sint en Piet AIRWAY’ titles and Sinterklaas cartoon, ‘Madrid Spanje’ on
nosewheel door |
AMS |
1993 |
11323 |
PH-CFA |
Transwede |
‘Nikolaas Airways’ titles and Sint cartoon |
AMS |
1993 |
11309 |
PH-LMZ |
Palair |
'Sint-Express' sticker next to passengers’ door |
WOE |
1994 |
11528 |
PH-JCH |
Fokker |
“Spanje” titles |
WOE |
1995 |
11243 |
PH-MKC |
Fokker |
“Spanje” titles |
AMS |
2005 |
11368 |
C-GKZL |
Ford Motors |
‘Sint Air’ titles and cartoon |
WOE |
2007 |
11242 |
PH-MKH |
Fokker |
Large ‘SINT AIR’ titles and cartoon |
WOE |
2010 |
11242 |
PH-MKH |
Fokker |
?? |
WOE |
2011 |
20240 |
D2-ESR |
SonAir |
Large ‘SINT AIR’ titles |
WOE |
2012 |
11419 |
PH-AQE |
Avianca |
‘SINT AIR’ titles |
WOE |
2013 |
11333 |
PH-CXN |
Fokker |
All white with ‘SINT AIR’ titles |
WOE |
2017 |
11583 |
PH-KZH |
Insel Air |
No special titles visible |
WOE |
In 1958 Sinterklaas arrived at Schiphol airport in the first Fokker Friendship
prototype PH-NIV (10101). As far as we can see no special titles or cartoons
were applied (left). (unknown photographer, collection Jacques Vooren;
Amsterdam, 1958). Three years later it was PH-FDF (10191), to become PI-C503
with Philippine Air Lines, that served during the children’s feast (right).
(Unknown photographer, collection Hans Hoffmann; Amsterdam, 1961)
Sudan Airways F27 still with test registration PH-FFD (10238) was used for the
Sinterklaas feast in 1963. The Friendship carried no special titles or cartoons.
(Ad Jan Altevogt; Amsterdam, 1963)
In 1971 Fokker used an unsold F27 for the Sinterklaas festivities. Officially
this was PH-EXA (10472) for which an order by Malaysia-Singapore Airways was
intended, but not finalized. The aircraft was white and grey and for the
occasion adorned with ‘Sint Nicolaas feest bij Fokker’ titles, Sint and Piet
cartoons on the tail and a fake registration PH-SINT. (Ad Jan Altevogt;
Amsterdam, 1971)
In 1979 Sinterklaas’ carriage was F28 PH-BBV (11127), which had just returned
from lease to Air Anglia in NLM Cityhopper colors. On the nose is the name
‘Spanje’ and next to the passenger’s door a Sint & Piet cartoon. (Unknown
photographer, collection Hans Hoffmann; Amsterdam, 1979)
F28 11163 had a difficult start; it was built in 1980, intended to go to Sun
Pacific Airlines in the USA, but the deal was blown off and finally it was
finally sold in 1984 to Pilgrim Airways. This gave Fokker the opportunity using
the aircraft as PH-EXW in the 1980 Sinterklaas celebration with ‘Spanje’ titles,
a Sint & Piet cartoon and a cheatline in the colors of the Dutch flag. (Unknown
photographer, collection Hans Hoffmann; Amsterdam, 1980)
The F28 prototype PH-JHG (11001) was used at least twice for the Sinterklaas
feast. In 1981 it carried its third livery, to which ‘Spanje’ titles were added,
covering the passenger’s door (left) (Ad Jan Altevogt; Amsterdam, 12 December
1981). The same aircraft also served one year later, now with different titles
and a large sticker with cartoons added (right). (Unknown photographer,
collection Hans Hoffmann; Amsterdam, 1982)
In 1984 F28 11219 was selected to transport Sinterklaas. It had the fake
registration PH-NCR and a cartoon not only figuring Sint, Piet and the horse,
but also a Fokker sign. The meaning of the fake registration is unclear, it was
actually PH-EZR. (Ad Jan Altevogt; Amsterdam, 1984)
For the 1989 feast, the first F100 prototype PH-MKH (11242) was used with large
‘Air Madrid’ titles. (Ad Jan Altevogt; Amsterdam, November 1989)
Few days before delivery to TAT F100 11364 performed in the 1991 Sinterklaas
feast, sporting a large name ‘Spanje’ as well as a Sint & Piet cartoon. The
registration is incompletely visible, but officially it was still PH-EZA. During
the delivery flight to Dinard it was painted F-GIOH and once arrived, it became
F-GIOG very soon. (Ad Jan Altevogt; Amsterdam, November 1991)
One year later PH-LXA (11429) had the honour of carrying special decals for the
Sinterklaas event. Apart from a Sinterklaas cartoon behind the cockpit and ‘Sint
& Piet AIRWAY’ titles in green on the fuselage, also note the text ‘Madrid
Spanje’ on the nosewheel door. (Ad Jan Altevogt; Amsterdam, 1992)
Shortly before delivery F100 c/n 11323 participated in the 1993 festivities. The
Transwede titles were taped over by a sticker ‘Nikolaas Airways’ and a portrait
of Sinterklaas. The registration is not visible, but was PH-CFA, to become
SE-DUB a couple of days later.
(Unknown photographer, collection Hans Groen; Amsterdam, November 1993)
A very rare picture of F100 11368 registered as C-GKZL, which was destined for
Ford Motors Corp as N320K, but was never taken up. During its storage at
Woensdrecht, it was used for the local Sinterklaas event, as the Sint & Piet
cartoon and ‘SINT AIR’ titles demonstrate.
(Unknown photographer, collection Hans Groen; Woensdrecht, 2005)
Not for the first time F100 prototype PH-MKH (11242) participated in the
Sinterklaas event. By then, it was painted in the special Sostar-X color scheme
and carried large ‘SINTAIR’ titles and the portrait of Sinterklaas. (Johan
Havelaar, Woensdrecht, 2007)
An uncommon F50 adorned with ‘SINT AIR’ titles for the Sinterklaas feast of
Fokker Services at Woensdrecht, was D2-ESR (20240) in full SonAir livery. (Johan
Havelaar; Woensdrecht, November 2011)
This rather exotic scene of a F100 in full Avianca colors decorated with ‘SINT
AIR’ titles could be seen in 2012. Although the registration HK-4579 was still
on the airplane, it was officially PH-AQE and owned by Qantas, but as far as we
know never carried that registration.
(Johan Havelaar; Woensdrecht, 28 November 2012)
The year after F100 PH-CXN (11333) brought Sinterklaas to the Fokker children at
Woensdrecht. The white livery was interim between service with Mexicana Click
and Virgin Australia. The ‘SINT AIR’ titles looked similar to those used in
previous years.
(Johan Havelaar; Woensdrecht, 4 December 2013)
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