VLM are BACK! Fokker 50 flight experience, London City to Antwerp
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
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Date of Travel: NOVEMBER 2017
Airline: VLM
Flight #: VO102
Aircraft: FOKKER 50
Livery: VLM standard livery
Route: LCY-ANR
Tail number: OO-VLI
Miles: 192
Airborne time: 0h51m
Notes: First time on VLM since 2009
Thanks for finding my video and pressing play!
When I heard VLM had started up again having gone bust over a year ago, I knew I had to take the opportunity to fly with them again. I’ve a soft spot for them, having first been impressed with them back in 2009 when I travelled with them on the Manchester to London City route. Plus, they operate Fokker 50s and there are very few opportunities to fly on them, particularly in Europe.
VLM have restarted using a Slovenian certificate, and they’re now based in Maribor, Slovenia although the airline’s history is distinctly Belgian. London to Antwerp is their only route right now (Antwerp having been a former base of theirs), and it’s a business rather than a leisure route.
As this is a business route with a lot of the tickets being bought on expenses, don’t expect very cheap tickets. Mine cost me £109 single, which is expensive - but worth it to catch the unique experience of a quirky airline operating a beloved and rare aircraft.
Enjoy the report.
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Love the sound of those engines. A true oldtimer. Flying on that plane surely is an adventure in itself these days.
And yet the old timer (Fokker 50( can compete still with other 50-seat turboprops
Very cool to see the Fokker 50 back in service. I have flown with the Fokker F27 back in the 70's as a kid. I loved the sound of those Rolls Royce Dart engines.
I LOVE this aircraft!!! Yes, I'm back at RetroPaul at the moment, revisiting old videos :)
Stellar work Paul! The Fokker 50's pointy nose makes this plane extra lovable. It's also kinda fun to say the word "Fokker" And I love the engine sound on take off - it feels like I'm setting off on a grand adventure in an Indiana Jones movie!
Charles Bruce true
there are something magic with turboprops, i love
I missed vlm.. flew with them between rotterdam and london from 2009 to 2013. im so happy they are back and that they use the wonderful fokker 50s :D
Unfortunately they have ceased trading now which you probably know
Well done Paul. I really enjoyed watching this special review about VLM :) I can't wait for the next video!
+Fly Around Thanks!
You're welcome :)
Fly Around Did they taxi with one engine?
Fly Around The
Superb as ever, Paul. Really enjoyed it. Reminds me of the only time I flew VLM (about 2002ish), and it wasn't on purpose. I was working for Eurostar, and my return from Brussels (last train of the day) got cancelled as the overhead wires at Eurotunnel had corroded badly. We (the crew) had to stay overnight, and it transpired it would be days before the Tunnel opened again. We managed to get a flight with VLM from Brussels to LCY, along with some of our (very angry) passengers. And as we weren't expecting this, none of us had any other clothes than our uniforms so we were easy to spot. Oh, what fun! (NOT!) ;@) I do remember the service on VLM being excellent...but then I'm old enough to remember the service on the Dover-Oostende Jetfoil, and that was excellent too. The Flemish have this wonderful understated professional elegance about their service style.
+Andrew Ditton Nice! I bet nothing much has changed about the aircraft since 2002 either. I once sailed to Ostend in about 2004 with the Marine Society on the TS Earl of Romney - that was a course through the air cadets believe it or not.
Love the Fokker 50. It's stupidly loud but such a cute little plane.
It's realy silent compared to its predecesor the Fokker F27
But yeah it's realy a superb plane and in it's days it was highly modern.
Used to love flying on the fokker 50 when aer lingus commuter were operating them on the Dublin to Edinburgh service, now they operate the atr 75 600, which is a similar experience
Excellent trip report, Paul! Nice to see flying VLM again. Enjoyed a lot! ;)
I'm glad I stumbled across this video. I tried to sleep out side those sliding glass doors at the beginning of your video about 15 years ago. Security kindly opened up the closed lobby and let me sleep inside. Good memories of traveling during my university days! I loved how the planes taxi on the runway.
Glad to see VLM back in service!
Amazing video, and very nice to see the Fokker 50 still in service in Europe =D
...Glad to see the Fokker 50 is Still in Use.!
Excellent Paul! Your video editing is super mate, hope you are feeling better soon. Thanks for sharing another great flight report!
So glad they are back, I'll have to fly on them soon!
I really like your vlogs and have been watching for a while now. My Dad was a flight steward for QANTAS for 33 years and I have , since a child been fascinated with flying. Our family were based in London for a couple of years when I was teenager and I got to be in the cockpit for take offs and landing in many places all over the world. My favorite smell is still aviation fuel , and horse shit comes a close second ... My wife once commented that it is hard being married to a man who is happiest in a departure lounge ... I could literally live in an airport ... I know where you are coming from ... keep up the good work
+Peter Kelly Thanks Peter! I love travelling but after a few days away I’m always glad to be home :-)
Great Video!-I live for Sunday Mornings
Amazing to get a feel of the Fokker 50 on this unusual route
Congrats on 17K
+Newcastle Flyer Cheers 👍🏻
I flew VLM to Antwerp a couple of times. Just loved it.
Imagine that. Even an airline on the verge of death provides a better catering service than British Airways on their Euroflights
British Airways from London City Airport (BA CityFlyer) still provides a complimentary catering service in economy class, it has the usual snack + full bar service on afternoons and evenings and a breakfast roll in the morning. Review (economy) saveecrewards.co.uk/blog/review-ba-cityflyer-euro-traveller-ba8717-edi-lcy (Club Europe - business) saveecrewards.co.uk/blog/review-ba-cityflyer-club-europe-ba7310-lcy-man
I'm aware BA Cityflyer does. I'm talking about British Airways short-haul from Gatwick and Heathrow.. But thanks for the link :)
+HMSDaring1 I do like to point it out because not everyone is aware, it's a shame my regular route NCL-LON is LHR only, I so much prefer flying CityFlyer despite having access to the First lounges at Gatwick and Heathrow (although the new LGW lounges were certainly a nice surprise of 2017 as was the first wing at LHR). I hope BA finally give up the plan to eventually roll out BoB on LCY flights as it'll also affect the quality of CE catering too (as it's likely the person serving CE will need to help out in ET)
They've stopped free service at LCY too.
Since when? They were supposed to introduce Buy on Board 'in the summer' but this had slipped to 2018 the last I heard. My flight from London City to Edinburgh was complimentary throughout.
I enjoy your videos very much. Your music choices are always great!! Thanks
Hi Paul, another great video report. I look forward to your reports every Sunday. Keep up good work mate. 👍
absolutely love your videos! You'll make it big soon I'm sure
Great report as always. Nothing like flying in a museum!!
I flew with VLM from London City to Munchengladbach several times in the late 1990s. I hadn’t realised the Company ceased business as I loved flying with them on that route. Pleased they are back and I hope they succeed.
Robert Griffith It's called Mönchengladbach.
Definitely going to book a trip on this route in the new year , great video as always
nice video. i worked at lgw for years loved the Jy and nlm fokker aircraft the smell of the engines
My usual Sunday travel start. Good one. Looking forward to next week.
I did this flight a number of years ago on the Fokker 50 out of City. There were only two of us as passengers and we were asked to sit behind the wings to assist with take off. On the return flight, it was full!!!
Thanks Paul,
I'm verry familiar to this aircraft from a past live but didn't know VLM is still flying them.
TY Paul for your time and excellent videos
Hi Paul, thank you for this. I can remember about 10 years ago having a flight from Dundee to London City on a Fokker 50. The airline was a branch of Air France ( Air City?) I enjoyed my flight and was amused by all of the instructions in French. Even on the sick bag!
Excellent vid once more Paul - glad to say that Wednesday and today saw me get my first ever miles up in the air, through a Uni trip to Brussels! Your adventures put me at ease long ago that flying would be fine and both were pretty fine. Roll on next Sunday's report!
+Kashmire Hawker Glad to hear it went well for you! 👍🏻👍🏻
Fokker 50s have done a lot of work connecting smaller towns in Western Australia and I think there are still some around. These are not short flights either, they can be up to six or seven hundred kilometres. I flew from Perth to Darwin, thousands of kilometres and back a few years ago in Fokker 100 aircraft. They were excellent, with the rear mounted engines leaving all the noise behind.
Great viewing. Lovely to see an old F50
Brilliant Paul I loved it, there is definitely a buzz a about flying turbo prop.
This took me back 2 years ago flying from Edinburgh to Leeds Bradford on a regular basis with I think then what was BMI.
Super my friend thank you
Great one! Very unusual bird nowadays ... love the Fokker !
Hey I am just currently binge watching your trip reports they are awesome
I love all the information you put in, extras
Yes, it's a good thing that you had breakfast BEFORE this flight!
Love it! Now that’s flying ... OLD SCHOOL. 😉
Great Report Paul,sunday mornings wouldn't be the same without them : )
I definitely enjoy watching your trip reports
i enjoy a lot when the sky is grey. here where i live is very hot. nice video , this aircraft is very interesting
I love your videos...makes me miss flying though. I can't wait for more.
I love the way you camera takes in the propellers
You could do some short haul flights in Eastern Europe, just to see how things measure up. I remember this particular plane with Air UK, and KLM used to do flights between Bristol and Amsterdam in them.
On the catering side, hot meals on a hot ceramic plate used to be the norm when I was flying economy class within Europe back in the 1980s. Will never forget the potatoes, beef and veg. on LOT from LHR to WAW (Warsaw) on a Soviet built jet, with the return flight on BA, with the latter serving a cold buffet meal. That's one for the book!
Allways nice to watch your video's Paul. They give me the feeling making the trip myself.
I flew with VLM a lot from Rotterdam to London.
Sunday morning ,a nice breakfast and a new video by Paul.
Hope to see more train video's in the near future. Or is you're core business flying ?
Robert S Thanks Robert - there will be at least 2 more train journeys published before Christmas 👍🏻👍🏻
ATC: American 231 heavy, traffic 4 miles, 1 o’clock, a Fokker 50.
American 231: I’ve got that little Fokker in sight.
Just couldn't stop yourself, could you?
but does Fokker really sound like Fucker? mmmm. not really. well. not to me.
DJ London depends on your accent, I suppose.
Excellent report as always Paul, looked like a fun little hop , with at least a free yoghurt and drink !
+When I Travel The World Cheers James - I wouldn’t recommend this aircraft for nervous flyers though, it’s unbelievably loud and very shaky in turbulence!
+When I Travel The World Cheers James - I wouldn’t recommend this aircraft for nervous flyers though, it’s unbelievably loud and very shaky in turbulence!
When I flew with them in 2001, I sat near the back (because being next to the props is indeed horrendously loud) and still I made the flight attendant repeat herself 5 times. She was asking if I wanted the regular or the kosher snack option, but because I could hardly hear her and I wasn't expecting the question, this didn't register with me. In the end she kind of lost her patience with me and asked me if I wanted chicken or cheese on my sandwich. :D
I had cheese with a cup of tea, it was reaslly nice.
Speaking of small airlines with only one route. I would like you to try a Danish airline called Alsie Express. They only fly one route, Copenhagen to Sønderborg, a city in Southern Jutland very close to the German border. They operate two ATR 72s one of them with only 48 seats and an impressive 42 inch legroom. If you book early you get a ticket for roughly £39 and on flights on Friday afternoon/evening they even serve local beer! 😀
+Andrew Sebastian Rothgarn Antonsen I have seen this airline before! I was at CPH last year and noticed their striking black ATR aircraft. Logistically it’s a bit of a problem as I don’t like to just get off the plane and get back on the same one - the best use of my time is finding ways to sew multiple itineraries together. But if I can make it work, I’ll do it next year.
Paul's Trip Reports A bit of a late reply, but Alsie Express have opened a seasonal route between Sønderborg and Bornholm, a small Danish Island in the Baltic sea. From Bornholm, Danish Air Transport have flights to Aalborg, Billund and Copenhagen, all of which have flights to the U.K. If you wanted to, you could do UK-CPH-SGD-RNN(Bornholm)-BLL-UK, where you could get to fly EasyJet/RyanAir/SAS/BA, Danish Air Transport and AirAlsie.
Hi! I have read that VLM F50s are now operated under Air Antwerp. Wonder for how long ?!? On your vlog, a LUXAIR Q7 appears during the taxi out. This reminds me that some time ago, there was a rough competition between VLM and LUXAIR, both operating F50s on the LUX-LCY route. Finally, LUXAIR won the war!
Super video Paul.
Regarding ashtrays. All planes in the USA are required to have them in the toilets, to stop people putting any illegal smokes in the rubbish bins. For safety.
+Jiminy Haitch I never knew that!
Great video Pau,l look forward to you videos on sundays.
G'day Paul just happen to stumble across your channel and I really liked it especially your trips on the trains and it's great to see some of the old stations we saw last time we were in the UK. I like how you use captioning instead of a lot of talking. Well done and I look forward to watching more of your trips and reviews thanks mate regards John Tasmania Australia, I have subscribed
Well you've made me want to look up the prices for this route now!! Based on your legroom there though I think I'll sit one row back in 3A or 3D!
The Fokker will be back soon on the Antwerp - London City route,callsign Rubens of VLM is now gone for good but Air Antwerp gives aviation enthusiasts another chance to fly the F50.To make things even better Air Antwerp has just been granted callsign Devil😀
Great production....📹🎬🎶😀👌
Great video as always Paul!
My daughter has just returned from Everest Base Camp on a holiday and she travelled in and out of Lukla.. A nice one for Paul to feature!
+Andrew Hamilton Maybe one day! Would love to do that flight.
Awesome trip report as always!! 😊
Great catch this! Wish I had done it. They have just gone under again
VLM is in Business again? Very good. I worked at the airport in Antwerp. (Travair and aerodata)
Love your reports so much
Great video can't wait for the next one
Awesome video mate!
Subscribed!Those RR Darts would have sounded incredible!
Those engines sound great !
Well done Paul... hope you get better. Shocking news... you bought a breakfast. ;-) Interesting video on a quirky airline. Price wasn't too bad for a niche route. Greetings from SA... enjoying a hol (inc from video editing). Hope to take the Premier classes train before heading back home
+Speedbird1 FLY Cheers. I ate the breakfast on the train to Brussels in the end. 😂
Paul's Trip Reports you must have been starving by then! (Especially after an early start) glad u featured vlm. Always been curious about this airline. Take care
SA as in South Africa ?
Joshua Fleming hi Joshua, yes in South Africa 🇿🇦. I am bracing myself for the cold weather back home. Kind regards (and you guessed it ... more reviews once the holiday mode is over)
Great , hope you got some trip reports for me from your flight travels within SA ! I have a shed ton of flying starting the 4th of December until the 20th within SA, should be fun ! See you soon , Josh in Cape Town :)
Great trip report I enjoyed it.
Thanks for another great trip report. I’ve gotten tired of 320’s and 737’s so I️ love rare aircraft like this especially since there’s none such in the states! Suggestion- I️ would love to see you do a 757 report on Iceland air maybe? That would be super cool! Thanks.
Hi Paul! A very interesting report! Enjoyed watching it a lot, as I would be interested in flying one of those Fokkers aswell... Hope to get a chance before they retire :/
+Laid-Back Flights Thanks. You’ll have to be quick as I reckon VLM won’t be here this time next year.
Great video, Thanks Paul!
Love this video keep up the good work. Hope your feeling better x
+Jack Simms planes Thanks Jack 👍🏻
I miss the CALM service between MAN and LCY. For visits to London, it was far more convenient than BA,s LHR service. Also wish that BA didn't cancel their MAN-LGW service.
LCA did used to be a dock.... But I remember going to that site for my GSCE coursework (1st year of that) and they were filming Full Metal Jacket on that very site - a year later I was at Destination Docklands in 1988/89
Its kind of boring now
any chance making a more recent one? top video man!
And by now, VLM Airlines is definitly over. Last summer, they cancelled almost all routes but did continue the London - Antwerp connection. At the end of august, VLM decided even the London City - Antwerp route will close down (last flight of VLM ended 2 sept. 2018 in Antwerp). For now (oct. 2018) VLM is in liquidation. What will happen with the 3 last Fokker 50's is unknown. Little good news, VLM sold 3 of their Fokker 50's to the Swedish Amapola.
London City is right next to the Thames? Like your great variety of aircraft reviewed. Cheers!
Paul mate , love it !
Another good video. The plane looked like a bit of an antique
+Paul Whitear It is a bit - 27 years old.
Great video Paul!
Am happy is back.
hope service is nice there i flow with klm f 50 was a very unfriendly crew member on board i never fly klm anymore
R.I.P. They didn't last long, VLM has gone out of business again on 31 August 2018
I know. Sad.
Hi Paul, inspired by thins, I'm thinking of doing the newly reinstated BHX - Antwerp trip on the Fokker. It's coming up as £79 return. Sounds a good deal. Did you find it easy to get from the airport into Antwerp itself and was there much to do in Antwerp?
In the early to mid 2000s Air Astana used fokkers 50 to operate the 1800 km route from the capital Astana to the oil rich city of Atyrau in the west of Kazakhstan. At that time, Atyrau didn't have any international connections, so it was either via Astana or the largest city of Almaty 3500 km away. It took the plane 4 hours to make the trek each way. 4 god damn hours. The noise and vibration were pure torture after hour 1. And of course there was no in-flight entertainment of any kind, as the aircraft is simply not designed for that, so boredom was another side effect. Ah, the memories.
I hope you are feeling better! 😊
+Kathy Shehee Thank you Kathy! 👍🏻
Oh I miss working at LCY! I know the dispatcher!! :D
+FOHeming Small world :-)
I'm jealous...109 euro's and u get to fly on such a classic aircraft, & in less than an hr ur in a different county. Flying here in the states has become so drab & routine, although not having to carry a passport & clear customs & immigration every time you take to the sky is nice. I was a lil surprised at how small Antwerp's airport is; I would've thought it'd be just a LIL bigger. Enjoyed the vid as always, thx for posting ;-)...Nate- Pittsburgh, PA
Nathan Huffman you can fly them for 39 € each way now on multiple routes. Even Antwerp-Maribor (3hour flight)
Beneluxflights OMG...Again, here in the States, no such luck...JEALOUS
Nice to see a flight on a Fokker 50. But it sounded reallly loud in the cabin. That is one thing I love about the Dash-8 Q400, it's not too loud in the cabin, but you still hear those awesome turbo props.
Speaking of the Q400, wich would you prefer, the Fokker 50 or the Q400?
+Harald Lorentzen F50 for the pure fact that I have an irrational dislike of the Q400 - just really don’t like it at all! F50 also has novelty value.
That's ok... I know the F50 is rare to see now, I was just talking about cabin comfot levels i relation to sound from the engines, as the F50 sounded really loud...
+Harald Lorentzen In terms of cabin comfort the Q400 is definitely quieter! I think most aircraft are quieter than the F50!
I fly with Loganair fairly regularly. I think the Saab 340 could give F50 a run for its money when it comes to noise. Having said that, I love the 340.
I know BA flys the A318 on the LCY-JFK route via SNN but I would imagine that's one of the largest planes that fly out of LCY....Is there anything larger that flies in and out?
+Steven Ward CS100 is actually larger. Fuselage isn’t wider, but it is longer and with a bigger wingspan.
I believe Airbus are trying to configure a A319 Neo for the steep approach. Landing distances are no issues. Further the CS300 Out to be able to land there too.
And we're Boeing not able to operate 737-5/6/7 cat think which with an identical approach angle. Something a while back about some European airlines probably those around Norway, Sweeden and Finland.
Maybe with one of those it will be the ' largest ' just behind the CS300 and A319 NEO
Great video paul
+haggischaser1028 Cheers!
hi paul looked to be a nice flight though maybe a little bumpy. love these older Fokker turbo props! do you know if these will stay in service for awhile? hopeful that they will, love the looks of these beauties! rob
+rob balboni F50s are very rare now so I don’t think they will be in service in Europe for very much longer.
Great video! how did you book this flight?
Loud + bumpy take-off = Scary 😟 But cute little plane all the same 💙
Dead jealous. I want to fly on a Fokker aircraft so badly ...
You know that you are on an old aircraft when there is a *"No Smoking"* light and ashtrays available. I cant see VLM making any money, the flight seemed short on passengers? Great video.