Soon to be gone, flying on the Fokker is a real treat.
Rare jets are the holy grail for Avgeeks. Over the past few years, aviation enthusiasts have flocked to fly on the last flights on the MD-11, DC-9, 727, 737-200 and DC-8. If you are an aviation enthusiast, you need to put the Fokker 70 on your radar. Less than 50 Fokker 70s were produced. Right now, only 38 Fokker 70s remain in service. By October 29, 2017, KLM will retire their fleet leaving less than 20 in service worldwide citing rising operating expenses.
This video features a 3-minute time lapse movie of a flight from Zurich to Amsterdam, in a very contemporary looking KLM Fokker 70. Take a ride with this passenger over the beautiful Swiss Alps, through the clouds, to the airplane’s Dutch destination. See the beautiful Holland farmlands on your way in. There’s a fabulous view from row 15 with the engine just feet from the passengers. The real trip takes about 90 minutes non stop. This particular flight took one hour and sixteen minutes. The gentle roar of the Rolls Royce Tay 620’s engines will remind you of what peak-efficiency sounded like in the mid-90s.
What’s interesting about the Fokker 70 is it’s simplicity and stubbiness. The wing is stubby and flaps 0 takeoffs are common in order to reduce wear on the engines.
What is most impressive about this jet is how short the Fokker 70 is. It literally is a shrunken Fokker 100 with a 15 feet shorter fuselage than the F100. It harkens back to a time where manufacturers thought that they could shrink aircraft (or offer shorter aircraft) for additional sales (See also MD-95, Boeing 737-600, ATR-42).