Denim Air - the end
10 January 2017
With a great sadness I heard that the airline where I found my first airline job, Denim Air, has definitely ceased operations and now closed the doors for good. In 2004 I was fortunate enough to pass the selection and was to be trained on the Fokker 50 Turboprop as a copilot. Unknowingly, this was going to be the most adventurous and defining chapter of my life.
Flying one of the most fun and reliable aircraft I have ever had the pleasure of flying, we operated in the far North of Norway, flew low through Scottish valleys, hopped between Greek Islands, flew all over Spain and even flew for KLM in and out of Amsterdam. Not much later, the company acquired contracts in Africa, flying for local airlines and operators in the most extreme environments. Landing on 'runways' in the middle of the Sahara, deep in the dense jungles or other places that accommodated our Fokker 50.
Just shortly after that, we started flying domestic flights in Afghanistan and being one of the first handful of volunteers, it was nothing short of pioneering in the most hostile environment you can imagine.
Countless adventures, friendships and stories that might be told one day after my retirement. But most of all, my years with Denim Air are defined by the feeling of belonging to a tight-knit family. Small enough to get to know nearly everybody within a year, we were all in it together and shared the stories that no one else could even think of.
Even up to today, meeting old Denim-colleagues brings on the stories and smiles from those old days.
When I resigned a few years later to start flying the 737 with another company, I felt very sad to leave this family and in retrospect, I should perhaps have stayed a few more years. But then again, its easy to judge with hindsight knowledge.
Im honored that I was a part of unique and under-appreciated part in Dutch aviation history and wish all my Denim-colleagues good luck with the new chapter in their flying career.
Just shortly after that, we started flying domestic flights in Afghanistan and being one of the first handful of volunteers, it was nothing short of pioneering in the most hostile environment you can imagine.
Countless adventures, friendships and stories that might be told one day after my retirement. But most of all, my years with Denim Air are defined by the feeling of belonging to a tight-knit family. Small enough to get to know nearly everybody within a year, we were all in it together and shared the stories that no one else could even think of.
Even up to today, meeting old Denim-colleagues brings on the stories and smiles from those old days.
When I resigned a few years later to start flying the 737 with another company, I felt very sad to leave this family and in retrospect, I should perhaps have stayed a few more years. But then again, its easy to judge with hindsight knowledge.
Im honored that I was a part of unique and under-appreciated part in Dutch aviation history and wish all my Denim-colleagues good luck with the new chapter in their flying career.