|
|
|
Title: ELTA |
|
Description: E.L.T.A. The First Air Transportation Exhibition, Amsterdam E.L.T.A., the "First Air Transport Exhibition" held at Amsterdam in August 1919, was the first international aeronautic exhibition to be held in Europe after World War One, taking place little more than one month after the Treaty of Versailles was signed. Since The Netherlands had been a neutural country during the first World War, arranging the show was not as difficult as it would have been for the other countries, but because the show was held so quickly, the European aircraft industry was not well prepared with commercially applicable machines. Airplanes and engines from many countries were exhibited in Amsterdam, although German participation was limited because of pressure from the Allies. The exception to this rule was that the Fokker Company, which built many of the best German fighter planes during The War, was allowed to participate with airplanes that were built in The Netherlands. Anthony Fokker, head of the company, was a native of Holland who began his aviation career in Germany and became a naturalized German citizen during The War. After The War he took back his Dutch citizenship, but according to news accounts of the exhibition, there was plenty of animosity towards him, especially from the British participants. The E.L.T.A exhibition was immensely popular with the Dutch public who paid admission to see the air show that ran in conjunction with the technical exhibits. This event also stirred up enough support for commercial aviation in the business community that K.L.M., the Royal Dutch Airlines, was formed only a few months later. |
|
|
|