Contents:
The Fritz Diepen Story
by: R.J.Chr van den Ende - r.van.den.ende@tip.nl
Born 29 - 8 - 1915 / 4 - 7 -1974
Gymnasium B in 1934
A - license 1937
Fritz Diepen started in 1934 at Bergen op Zoom the " Diepen Ford Garage " ( DIFOGA ,NV )
Founder of the Westbrabantse Aero Club.
Fritz Diepen was in partnership (1937) and worked on a aircraft that was stationed at Woensdrecht
airfield.
Fritz Diepen was drafted in 1939 into the Air Force. He Flew a Fokker S 1, This was a aircraft for pilot
training and was given the name "instructor". It was used by the NLS (Dutch Aviation School as well as
abroad) during May 1940.
During wartime Fritz Diepen assembled a little group of aircraft designers to build the Difoga 421. A twin
tail two-seater with a Ford-motor.
Kept nailed by the "Krouts" In Camp Amersfoort and Haren winter 1942/43.
After the war he founded the "Fritz Diepen Vliegtuig NV" on the 1st December 1945.
On the 1st of July 1946 he started on Vliegveld Ypenburg. (near The Hague) The goal was sale of aircraft
and artifacts, Maintenance, repairs and passenger transport by means of " air cabs " ( taxi )
On the 1st of January 1949 the company was split into Air charter "AERO HOLLAND" and "AVIO
DIEPEN NV" Restoration, Repair station.
Fritz Diepen obtained an agreement with FOKKER for the sales of their F 25 "Promotor" He
ordered and sold 20, F-25 "Promoter" a Sport Aircraft.
.
AERO HOLLAND never got airborne due to the Resistance of the Dutch Rijksluchtvaartdienst and
KLM who were afraid for too much competition.
The little glider field Ypenburg was transformed by Fritz into a real airfield, so real that the government
took it over in 1955.
Since the 3rd of May 1960 the airfield became military surplus.
AVIO DIEPEN was a success story. In I950 there were l68 employees and 5000 M2 hangar spaces.
This was a repair and overhaul station for the Dakota/DC 3 Air Force registrations ZU 1 up to ZU 7
(some sold to Martin Schreuder )
PH - PBA one of the remaining government owned Dakotas can be seen at the AVIDOME at Schiphol
Airfield which is an air-museum. This aircraft was flown by Prince Bernhard.
Fritz Diepen obtained maintence contract for the Dakota/DC-3s owned by ESSO, BP, CALTEX, USAF
(Germany ), BRATTHEN AIR and SAS. Because of this We called him "Mister Dak"
The interiors of the Dakota/DC-3 owned by the Danish Royal family and the one owned by the
Shah of Persia were custom modified.
The DC-3 of our own Royal family was mostly flown by Prince Bernhard himself. The
Dakota/DC-3 was used in business. By l952 Prince Bernhard was known throughout the
aviation world. .
(The Prince has many WW II, warbird pilot friends from the Allied country's. He also flew
Spitfire Mk 5 and 7, as well as DC-3, C-47 and more, It is said that he would "fly anything as
long as it would fly".)
Fritz Diepen was then offered a seat on the board of directors of FOKKER on the 1st of March l954 and
AVIO DEEPEN
became a part of FOKKER. The fact that the F 27 "Friendship" the worlds most sold turbo-prop can be
credited to him
Fritz Diepen became Fokker’s representative to (AICMA) which is now (AECMA) Association
Europeenne des
Coustructeurs de Materiel Aerospatial which connected VFW, HFB, Short and Brequet together in
partial construction of F
27 and later F 28 "Fellowship". And was the power behind HISPANO SUIZA NEDERLAND BV in
Breda.
In 1963 and l964 Fritz Diepen retired to his home to help raise his children. During this time he was an
advisor for FOKKER
and returned on January 1, 1965.
Fritz Diepen was made Vice-president in 1968 and became president in 1970 until 1972.
A merger with VFW in 1969 placed Fritz Diepen on the board of 'VFW -FOKKER GMBH
Duesseldurf. The government
brought that to an end in January I980.
We also had an aircraft builder by the name Frits Koolhoven in Rotterdam and the airfield was called
Vliegveld Waalhaven. After the war it was not rebuilt. These days it's a business park and only the street
names remind you of
the glorious past. Where did I hear this before!! !!'?'!'?'!!
Contents:
Home Page
Feedback