La historia se repite

Last Monday, I was a member of the crew on the first KLM flight to Buenos Aires. After an absence of ten years, KLM is back in this beautiful Argentinian city. Even though I had never been to Buenos Aires before, this destination has always been very special for me. As a matter of fact, the very first KLM flight to Buenos Aires in 1946 was captained by my grandfather Frijns. On 6 August 1946, he took to the air in a Douglas DC-4 named ‘Friesland’. And that was not a direct flight like the one I made last Monday. No, he flew to Buenos Aires via Lisbon, Dakar, Recife and Sao Paulo!

Buenos Aires 1946

This South-Atlantic route was set up in 1946 and my grandfather was sent out to check the suitability of the airports in Recife, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, which were ‘not yet known to KLM pilots’, according to a newspaper article at the time. After a return that took three and a half days, my grandfather declared that the condition of the airports was up to standard. However, unfortunately KLM had still not concluded a satisfactory agreement with the Argentinian government at that point. So it was decided to fly to Montevideo in Uruguay, from where KLM would finally ferry its passengers to Buenos Aires by boat. In the following year, the route was more successful and by October 1947 5,500 passengers and 50,000 kg of cargo and post had been flown two million kilometres in 6,700 flying hours. In 1948, KLM and the Argentinian government finally concluded the aviation agreement allowing a scheduled service to start that would last until 2001, when Argentina was hit by a major economic crisis.

And now we’re back! And so too are the many stories that I’ve heard about my grandfather. He was a pioneer, an adventurer. He also held licence number 9, making him the ninth pilot in the history of KLM.

Inaugural Buenos Aires

And what a difference with today! I flew to Buenos Aires in thirteen and a half hours, while he took three and a half days. I flew direct while he made many stopovers. For him, this was pioneering, a real voyage of discovery. 65 years ago, my grandfather flew from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires for the first time. In so doing, he laid the foundations of KLM’s new scheduled service to Buenos Aires. I’m so proud that I’m his granddaughter!

Karen
Inflight Services

Posted by:   KLM  | 
Join the conversation Show comments

Kate Maat

Bringing emotions and heartbeat to a brand

Kate Maat

Bringing emotions and heartbeat to a brand

KLM

Thank you
for your nice replies. I really had a great trip! We (the entire crew) enjoyed
it very much. It was such a unique experience and I am very grateful that I was part
of it. Karen

Kate Maat

Bringing emotions and heartbeat to a brand

KLM

Thank you
for your nice replies. I really had a great trip! We (the entire crew) enjoyed
it very much. It was such a unique experience and I am very grateful that I was part
of it. Karen

Theodor

You can be proud!!! Pioneers are rare species… :-)

Theodor

You can be proud!!! Pioneers are rare species… :-)

Jtolhuis

I’m sure he’s proud of you too…:))

Jtolhuis

I’m sure he’s proud of you too…:))

Kari Heininen

An interesting story, because I have been in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Santos, several times.

Kari Heininen

An interesting story, because I have been in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Santos, several times.

Dario Aguilar

Great story!

Dario Aguilar

Great story!

Arturo

If you like beef,  Buenos AIres is a gret place, don’t forget Empanadas and Alfajores.
I ahve not been in Buenso Aires for almost 13 years. How did you find prices in comparison with Europe?

Arturo

If you like beef,  Buenos AIres is a gret place, don’t forget Empanadas and Alfajores.
I ahve not been in Buenso Aires for almost 13 years. How did you find prices in comparison with Europe?

Miquel Ros

The Argentinian flag tone of blue matches well with KLM blue…

miquel_gourmetorigins

The Argentinian flag tone of blue matches well with KLM blue…

H Geyssens

Wat leuk Karen , ik heb het gevonden. Het is toch echt bijzonder voor je en een historsich feit. Leuk verhaaltje, vol trots.
Huguette

H Geyssens

Wat leuk Karen , ik heb het gevonden. Het is toch echt bijzonder voor je en een historsich feit. Leuk verhaaltje, vol trots.
Huguette

Josué Berrú

I am happy for you! :D KLM also inaugurated the Amsterdam – Quito ( Ecuador) non-stop  flight on October 30th, 2011. Don´t you have information, photos, videos about it? :D

Gumpie

No pictures, bur I flew KL755 AMS-UIO on 16/03 and UIO-AMS on 7/04 wih Boeing 777.   Leaving UIO on 15:55PM with an relieff crew for Quaguil..  From there after a stopover (cleaning, catering and fuel) of ca 2 hrs with a fresh crew to AMS  ( 11 hrs flight time over leeward islands , south of ireland onto runway 06/24 at SPL.)
Crew from AMS stays 2 days in UIO and then 3 days in Quaquil.  

Josué Berrú

I am happy for you! :D KLM also inaugurated the Amsterdam – Quito ( Ecuador) non-stop  flight on October 30th, 2011. Don´t you have information, photos, videos about it? :D

Gumpie

No pictures, bur I flew KL755 AMS-UIO on 16/03 and UIO-AMS on 7/04 wih Boeing 777.   Leaving UIO on 15:55PM with an relieff crew for Quaguil..  From there after a stopover (cleaning, catering and fuel) of ca 2 hrs with a fresh crew to AMS  ( 11 hrs flight time over leeward islands , south of ireland onto runway 06/24 at SPL.)
Crew from AMS stays 2 days in UIO and then 3 days in Quaquil.  

Tony

Nice story. I crossed the Equator for the very first time in a KLM DC-8. It was January 1973.
From Rio de Janeiro to Amsterdam with stops in Sal and Lisbon. It was flight 793/794 three times a week.
In the northbound it departs about 4 PM from Rio and had breakfast at Lisbon airport restaurant, not at the plane as nowadays.

Tony

Nice story. I crossed the Equator for the very first time in a KLM DC-8. It was January 1973.
From Rio de Janeiro to Amsterdam with stops in Sal and Lisbon. It was flight 793/794 three times a week.
In the northbound it departs about 4 PM from Rio and had breakfast at Lisbon airport restaurant, not at the plane as nowadays.

Tony

Nice story. I crossed the Equator for the very first time in a KLM DC-8. It was January 1973.
From Rio de Janeiro to Amsterdam with stops in Sal and Lisbon. It was flight 793/794 three times a week.
In the northbound it departs about 4 PM from Rio and had breakfast at Lisbon airport restaurant, not at the plane as nowadays.

jose antonio

my father came to live in buenos aires in feb 1947 in KLM fligth from lisbon to montevideo (dc-6?)
before, iberia from madrid to lisbon
(international “veto” to spain because his actuation in 2° world war)
the international civil airport of bs as (ezeiza) was built in november 1947
the travel from montevideo to buenos aires was, exactly, in ferry boat called “vapor de la carrera”
4 days for all the travel!!!!!!!!!!!

Beatriz Sixto McDavid

So interesting! My mother, Bertina de Mulder, was on that inaugural flight on the Friesland. She was hired in Holland after the was as private secretary to the manager of the newly-opened KLM office in Buenos Aires. A photo almost identical to the one you posted above of the crew in front of the Friesland has been in my family “forever.” We have a few other photos as well, one of all the passengers standing in front of the plane and another of the interior of the plane with some of the passengers. I also have a copy of the passenger list. My mother was transferred to Montevideo in 1948 or so, where she met my father. She left KLM when I was born in 1952. Two of her brothers worked for KLM as well in Latin America. KLM has been a huge part of our family history, being that my parents met as a result of her being employed by the company.

DPG

My son-in-law’s great uncle, Fedor Jaugust, was an early pilot for KLM in Montevideo, we are told. Do anyone have anything on him?

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