Prestigious award for Aviodrome's Raymond Oostergo

Raymond Oostergo, Aviodrome employee, has received a special award for his contribution to many historic aviation projects. Since his teenage years, Raymond has been working at Aviodrome. On Saturday, April 1, 2023, he accepted the Fiets van Messel Award in the recently opened fighter jet hangar.

Raymond Oostergo: "It was very impressive that so many people had come for me, but I am only a small part of it all. All the projects I do not do alone but with a lot of volunteers!" Oostergo started at the Aviodrome at age seventeen as a tour guide and through other work within the museum ended up working on several iconic aircraft projects.

General manager of Aviodrome Coen Hoozemans: "Raymond has meant a lot to Dutch aviation history in the past decades. We are very happy and proud that he has received this award and recognition!"

When you ask Raymond about his favorite project, he says, "That's like asking a parent about their favorite child. Each aircraft, and therefore each project, is unique. From the start of the work, the history of the aircraft, the anecdotes of the volunteers, the people who worked on it to the completion of a project."

He is also full of praise for Aviodrome's volunteers: "There are a lot of volunteers who have gained experience in aviation or decades of knowledge through a passion. But there is also a younger generation who can solve old issues with contemporary knowledge. The dynamic between them is fantastic."

After receiving the award, the work does not stop for Raymond and the volunteers. They are currently working on various projects, such as making the Grumman Tracker - an old naval aircraft with folding wings - operational, the flight restoration of the Noorduyn Norseman and soon it will be the turn of the Dakota. The work is all taking place in the T2 Hangar. Oostergo: "The T2 Hangar is actually a maintenance exhibit and we get nice reactions to that from the visitors."

Bike from MesselThe award is named after Gerson van Messel, one of the most important aviation pioneers of Dutch aviation. He received his nickname "Fiets" in the Wheeler Corps in the Army, which was before he began his flying career with the Royal Aviation Company. For years Fiets flew with KLM and in 1956 he retired as captain of the Lockheed Constellation. The same type of aircraft for which Raymond spent two years in America.

The award has been presented by the National Historic Aviation Federation once every two years since 2001 to people who have been committed to historic aviation for many years. Due to the corona period, two awards were presented this year. Former Aviodrome director Arno van der Holst received the other award. The award is a personalized etching by Leentje Linders.

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