Keesje From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (7 years 7 months 3 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 3713 times:
Purely objective something with transatlantic range should be more praticle.
However no one dares to explain the big sober dutch public why they have to spend 70 million on that while cutting other social / educational / healthcare budgets.
Media would immediately jump on it & place an interior photo next to an archive picture of a junky mother carrying a small kid.
Boeing777/747 From Belgium, joined Dec 2001, 643 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (7 years 7 months 3 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 3660 times:
True Keesje about that "anti authoritian society", but you are right a bigger plane for longer routes would be better. I think the Belgians do that better (I agree with Sabenapilot). Why isn't our Queen's plane under military registration? Why is our 1st Jet not wearing RNLAF roundels? We should be proud again to our military like the British and Americans for example!
Maybe it would be an idea the Queen takes a Fokker 100 with extra fuel tanks...?
Although I'm a big Fokker fan it looks a bit silly to see the Queen promoting a "dead" aircraft brand (the Dutch governement even blundered and failed to avoid bankruptcy of Fokker) instead she chooses for a European built plane Airbus. Where is the Europe-spirit?
BBADXB From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (7 years 7 months 3 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 3586 times:
I love that aircraft. It has visited MLA often. And I like its livery as well. I hope that in the case of a replacement, it will be an Airbus, maybe an A319CJ.
Maybe it's because 2 articles in the Dutch newspaper "Het Parool" from Saturday Oct. 1.
In one article the lay-out, the service, and operating costs of the KBX. (€ 3,8 mi. in 2005 and € 4.6 mi. in 2007, due to a major overhaul) are mentioned. It is also expected that the a/c will stay in service for another 20 years.
The other article is about being Rotterdam Airport (RTM/EHRD) momentarily the most used airport in NL for the KBX since Valkenburg (LID/EHVB) is closed last January. It is also mentioned that to ferry the KBX from/to its maintenance base AMS/EHAM to RTM/EHRD will cost at least € 40.000 in 2005.
A little off topic ........
Does anybody have a pic of the predecessor of the PH-KBX, Fokker F28 PH-PBX in it's first white livery?
True, but Balkenende is driving a 140K Euro car while Verhofstad has a car budget of 60K Euro. (I wasn't aware of that until a Belgian told me. Was apparently a big issue in Belgium..)
Quoting Sabenapilot (Reply 3): Belgium, the southern neighbour of The Netherlands of roughly similar size and population
11 Million vs 16 Million, difference is 5 million which makes 45%of your population! That is very rough indeed.
Ofcourse, it proves your point even more!
Quoting Keesje (Reply 2): Purely objective something with transatlantic range should be more praticle.
So, what about the DC-10's you pointed out yourself?
There's still a long way to go before all the alliances deserve a star...
Sabenapilot From Belgium, joined Feb 2000, 2697 posts, RR: 49 Reply 10, posted (7 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 3411 times:
Quoting Glareskin (Reply 9): Balkenende is driving a 140K Euro car while Verhofstadt has a car budget of 60K Euro
You are aware that contrary to the Netherlands, Belgium has no less than 7 governments, all equally important according to the federal constitution, be it the Belgian federal government or 'just' the government of the German speaking community, and that each PM has a similar car budget?
With all these governments, each of them with constitutionally guaranteed 'verdragsrecht' , i.e. the right to sign international bilateral accords, no wonder we need a whole fleet of VIP planes: 2 A310s, 3 EMB145s and a bunch of Falcons.
Anyway, just making some fun here, don't take any of this serious!
So the next time a Belgian friend starts about Bak-ellende's 140.000 Euro car again at leat I can counter that Belgian's PM's have cars for 420.000 Euro...
There's still a long way to go before all the alliances deserve a star...
WhiteHatter From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (7 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 3315 times:
That Fokker 70 is probably in as good a condition as the day it was made.
Royal and Government passenger aircraft don't get the usage airliners do, so it's probably got very few hours on the airframe. Being a F70 it's also remarkably quiet which is another plus.
If it ain't broke, why fix it? Longhaul capacity can always be chartered in from Privatair or KLM if needed. Tony Blair uses Privatair or BA if anything bigger than a 146 is required.
Quoting KL5147 (Reply 8): In one article the lay-out, the service, and operating costs of the KBX. (€ 3,8 mi. in 2005 and € 4.6 mi. in 2007, due to a major overhaul)
BS, no major overhaul is required.
Willem
The truth lives in one’s mind, it doesn’t really exist
This is the governments main transportplane for short haul flights and can be chartered by cabinet members as well the royal family. Ministers have priority above the Royal Family, except when the Queen or her son are to do an official state visit. Maybe funny to mention that the PH-KBX has been traveling around the globe and that our crownprince is certified to fly the plane. To keep his license he regurly flies as a pilot at KLM Cityhopper. When the Queen is to go on a state visit, the PH-KBX is flown ahead and the Queen follows on KLM and arrives at a nearby airport in another country to adapt at local time and climate. The last leg of the journey is done on the Fokker.
When the Queen is out of town with the Fokker and urgent transport is needed for a minister, he or she can ask 334 sq of the RNLAF to see if they have anything available. Mostly used is the Gulfstream 4 V-11:
This sleek looking jet is also traveling around the world and is also used to get the general staff around. When the PH-KBX is in maintenance or out of town with a minister, the Queens travel office (The Royal Stables) can also call the airforce to charter the plane, which has been the case. Maybe nice to know that the Gulf has also been used to fly Dutch commandos quickly and rather quietly to some places. The V-11 is also used to fly cabinet members to long haul destinations where KLM isn't flying.
If the V-11 is unavailable and quick transport maybe needed for a short flight, the RNLAF also uses both Fokker 50's U-05 and U-06:
So, KLM, PH-KBX and the RNLAF combined are our way transport our bigshots! There were some talks on selling the Fokker for a plane that can fly larger distances, but these talks ended somewhere in 2002. As with the old F28, I think the F70 will be here for at least another 10-15 years.
Sponsor Message: 
From Belgium, joined Dec 2001, 643 posts, 
From Netherlands, joined Apr 2005, 1633 posts, 
From Switzerland, joined Jun 2005, 1813 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
but not the one I was looking for.
Printer friendly format 
