PH-OKE Hughes 269C / 300C c/n 93-0241 of Ryfas Heli Services, at heliport Emmen in Holland on July 3, 2006

The first of two prototypes of the two-seat Hughes Model 269 helicopter flew first in October 1956, only 13 months after commencement of design work. The basic design sparked US Army interest to order 5, designated YHO-2-HU, for evaluation. As a result Hughes won a US Army contract for a light helicopter primary trainer and 792 were built as the TH55A Osage. Deliveries of the commercial Model 269A, designated Hughes 200, started in 1961. The three-seat Model 269B, designated Hughes 300, flew first in 1964. In 1969 the 300 was followed by the improved Model 269C, designated Hughes 300C. Since 1983 Schweizer has built the 269C/300C, initially under licence for Hughes. Schweizer Aircraft Corp. acquired all rights to the helicopter in 1986. Already over 3400 helicopters of the 269/300/TH55 are built, of which 2800 by Hughes before production was transferred to Schweizer. In 2005 Schweizer Aircraft Corp. became a wholly owned Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. subsidiary.

The 1973 built Hughes 269C s/n 930241 was operated first as G-BCHI, F-GALG and D-HNAH. On March 19th 1981 the helicopter was registered in the Netherlands as PH‑RYF with Ryfas Heli Services. However Mr. N.R.G. van der Meer became on June 15th 1995 the registered owner, the PH-RYF is still operated by Ryfas Heli Services out of Hilversum airfield. On July 3rd 2006 the PH-RYF was photographed at the Heli-Holland heliport near Emmen in the Netherlands.