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Frederick Willem Koolhoven 1886-1946 Following text and images from www.koolhoven.com Before Frederick Koolhoven learned to fly and began his aviation career, he had a promising start in the automobile trade. Eighteen years old, he decided to try his luck abroad and found himself a job as mechanic at the automobile and motorcycle factory Minerva in Belgium. It did not take long before Koolhoven was noticed as a very skillfull driver and he was asked to drive races for Minerva. Eventually he made it to Minerva dealer for The Netherlands. A chance to have a close look at one of those flying machines, became the turning point in his life. Actually he was not impressed by the fragile construction of the plane. Yet, convinced that he would do a better job, it made him decide to study aviation techniques and learn to fly. Koolhoven resigned from Minerva and went to France where he registered at the flying school of the brothers Hanriot in Betheny near Rheims. Koolhoven obtained his pilot's licence, number 290, on November 8, 1910. Koolhoven returned to The Netherlands to work for the Maatschappij voor Luchtvaart (Aviation Company), a partnership established to promote aviation by organizing airshows and flying contests. In this year, 1911, Koolhoven constructed his first plane the 'Heidevogel' (Heatherbird), a copy of the Farman biplane with some adjustments to the construction and a gondola for its passengers. Again Koolhoven went to France, to the Société Provisoire des Aéroplanes Deperdussin, where he joined the staff of Louis Bechereau, designer of the monocoque Deperdussins, the most sensational planes of their time. In the Summer of 1912, Koolhoven became promoted to works manager of the British Deperdussin Company Ltd. and moved to England. Here he was involved, among other British designed Deperdussins, in the development of the beautiful Deperdussin 'Seagull'. Unfortunately the existence of Deperdussin also came to an end, but Koolhoven found a new position as works manager with Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth and Co. August 1914, W.O. I broke out and the British industry was running at full speed. In this period Koolhoven started to design his planes which received his initials F.K. and a number. The Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3, a scout, was his first success. Yet it was a small success compared to his Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8. of which 1701 had been ordered and served at the European front and the Middle and Far East.