Mr. Van Lear Black, an American millionaire, chartered a Fokker F.VIIA aircraft with crew for KLM appearances during the years 1927 to 1929.

Mr. van Lear Black does not do this primarily for business reasons, but enjoys flying around 'a bit', just for fun.

Pilots Geijssendorffer and Scholte were his regular crew during these flights that were carried out with one and the same aircraft. Lear black was concerned with comfort and so the aircraft was equipped with 5 large wicker reclining and sleeping chairs with many cushions and a small table.

All this instead of the normal 8 fixed passenger seats. In addition, the aircraft was equipped with an extra fuel tank in the wing. Lear Black is known to have disliked using a train or car and considered an airplane as his daily means of transportation.

He first made a number of flights within Europe with his regular KLM crew in the Fokker F.VIIA.

On May 14, 1928, a flight from London-Cape Town-Cairo-Tokyo-London was operated with Lear Black, with all engines being replaced in Cairo on the return flight for the flight to Tokyo.

The journey then continued via Iraq, British India, Burma, China to Tokyo.

In total, the journey covered 26 countries with an unprecedented 31 stops.

During the time that Lear Black used KLM, he flew a total of 177,000 km, which must have made a considerable contribution to KLM's income.

One of the most famous journeys Lear Black made must have been his trip to the Dutch East Indies.

The trip attracted the attention of the international press, which devoted ample coverage to it.

On Wednesday, June 15, 1927 at half past eight in the morning, Lear Black left Schiphol for Batavia with his personal butler (chamberlain) Leo Bayline and his regular crew consisting of Geijssendorffer and Scholte.

Also on board was KLM engineer Weber. Originally Lear Black's personal secretary was also supposed to go along, but had not fully recovered due to illness.

This was at that time the longest passenger flight at 15,195 km and was completed in 15 days with a number of rest days for Lear Black.

In fact, these were the first long-term and intercontinental charters in aviation history.

From June 15 to July 23, there will be a return flight to Batavia, covering over 30,000 km. The departure of that flight was filmed.

As director of KLM, Plesman is present to welcome this important customer.