Dec 18, 2018

"How I met the PH-BFR" - by Captain Eric Akker

The PH-BFR (Rio de Janeiro) was a B747-400M (Mixed, also called “combi”). It could carry both passengers and freight on the main deck.

In 1994, I was a co-pilot and assistant technical pilot, and a member of the KLM acceptance team. On January 11, 1994, we made the first so-called C (Customer-) 1 flight with the BFR. It was a test flight lasting 3 hours and 29 minutes from Paine Field in Boeing Everett.

On January 14, 1994, the acceptance was completed, and I flew to Amsterdam with technical pilot Captain Ernst Meijer, second co-pilot Peter Boender, and the rest of the acceptance team in exactly 9 hours.

Eric Akker (left) and Peter Boender just before the delivery flight to Amsterdam.

Because of my history with the BFR, I was asked to fly its phase-out flight in 2017. On December 6, 2017, KL9879 (with the ATC callsign KLM747) made its final flight from Schiphol to Twente Airport. Under the watchful eyes of many spectators at Spotters Hill and members of the old 1994 acceptance team, it was a privilege to make this final landing. The plane was dismantled at Twente Airport.

December 6, 2017, just before departure from Schiphol on the final flight to Twente

The BFR made 14,421 flights (and a total of 124,375 flight hours) over 23 years and 11 months of service. I made 45 of them. As someone once said: “From the cradle to the grave” ... We’ve come full circle.

I made a special final entry in the technical log that day.

Eric Akker.

KLM Captain B747-400.