Add
Private Notes
How do you make a historical series about airplanes, when many of those planes no longer exist? And if they exist, can no longer fly? In the making of Flying Dutchmen, the viewer gets a unique insight into the creative process of this spectacular series about the founding of KLM. With, among others, director Joram Lürsen and actors Daan Schuurmans and Fedja van Huêt.
By organizing the First Aviation Exhibition Amsterdam Albert Plesman wants to introduce the Netherlands to civil aviation. Plesman meets airplane manufacturer Anthony Fokker. The men will have to work together, despite their differences.
KLM is losing money and Plesman argues with his Board about changing course. Fokker struggles with a huge tax debt and he convinces Plesman to buy new planes from him. It seems like they are on the same side, but can Plesman trust Fokker?
KLM's losses are high; Plesman's job is on the line. Fokker is thriving. He participates in the Ford Air Reliability Tour in America and meets his new love: Violet. But in the Netherlands, Plesman is doing business with his rival.
Because of the crises, Albert Plesman has to work even harder to keep the KLM afloat, at the expense of his family, especially his wife Suze. In America, Fokker has is own issues caused by the crises, which also take a toll on his wife.
Fokker returns to Holland and starts working on his own biography. Plesman is about to lose the lucrative business of mail flights to his competitor. He is also forced to use an outdated Fokker plane for a flight to the East Indies.
Plesman enrolls his first American plane in an air race to Australia to prove metal planes are better than Fokker's wooden ones. When Plesman discovers that Fokker has all the sales rights of the plane, the race becomes even more exciting.
3 planes crash within a week; Plesman and Fokker blame each other. Fokker tries to force Plesman to buy his planes by swaying public opinion. The relationship reaches an all-time low when Plesman is dealt a heavy blow in his personal life.
For the first time KLM starts making profit, sadly because of the refugees fleeing for the upcoming war. When all the airways are closed down, Plesman makes up an idealistic plan to keep the peace, but he needs Fokker to realize it.
