At Amsterdam-Schipol airport, a Fokker 100 "landed" on the roof.

Amsterdam-Schipol Airport is the home of KLM, the Dutch flag carrier, and is also one of Europe's most important airports for both cargo and passenger traffic: in 2023 alone, more than 61 million passengers are estimated to have passed through the Netherlands' No. 1 airport. 

If passing through AMS you thought you saw a beautiful Fokker 100 in KLM livery above the roof of the air terminal, don't worry: you don't have to go to the ophthalmologist, you've seen just fine. 

Among the various things that Italian av geeks envy their European "colleagues" are definitely the spaces - outside and inside airports - dedicated to the plane spotting, a popular hobby around the world that involves photographing airplanes. 

Here, Schipol is no different. Passengers and fans, for more than 10 years now, have been able to enjoy incredible views of the slopes thanks to the Panorama Terrace: located before the security controls, the terrace is accessible to anyone (no need to have a plane ticket) and offers not only breathtaking views but also a restaurant and areas to work in.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Fokker 100: anyone on the terrace has the opportunity to visit (including inside) one of the iconic aircraft of Dutch commercial aviation. Small (but not even too much) detail for the most enthusiasts: the Panorama Terrace has no glass roof but simple low balustrades, so no annoying reflections will appear in photographs.

In Europe, plane spotting is serious business, and because of this, authorities and airports encourage groups and associations of enthusiasts: Frankfurt, Monaco, Schipol itself, Geneva e Toulouse are some of the European airports where it is possible to take photographs of aircraft without risking arrest for espionage (as happened, in 2001, to a group of plane spotters in Greece-but those were other times). 

In contrast, in Italy the situation is a bit different. There are plenty of enthusiasts, but the "tolerance" of airports toward them is not comparable to what happens in the rest of Europe: in our country, the only airport that favors plane spotting is Malpensa which, on a regular basis, organizes (together with associations) of the open day.