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.
Over the years a number of Hughes 269B, 269C and Schweizer 300 were operated by Heli-Holland.
Hughes 269B PH-HOP was on April 14, 1975 the first helicopter registered by Heli-Holland in the
Dutch register. The first 269C was the PH-JOH, registered on 29 May 1976 with Heli-Holland BV.
The original in 1975 built PH-RYF (ex. N???; D-HKEP; OY-HCE; PH-RYF and "PH-HAH") was photographed
at the Heli-Holland heliport near Emmen in the Netherlands. This Hughes 269C was registered on November
28, 1983 with Heli-Holland BV. Ryfas Heli Service operated it before when it crashed June 6, 1980
near 's Gravendeel. After being rebuilt by Heli-Holland the registration PH-HAH was allotted. The
authorities refused this registration. It re-entered the register as PH-RYF on November 28, 1983.
On October 16, 1989 the PH-RYF was registered with Dibova BV in Beuningen. After Dibova received
its new Schweizer 300C PH-DIB, the PH-RYF was returned to Heli-Holland and registered on
November 11, 1992 with Heli Holland Holding BV.
Luchtvaart déjà vu
