Many of the Netherlands Air Force CH-47 fleet carry names. 'Stikelbaarch' is porcupine (or hedgehog) not in the Dutch but in the Frisian language.

The Chinook carrying a truck-load during the open days of the Air Force.

White-out conditions nearby a landing Dutch Chinook during a Snow Blaze exercise in Norway. The H-47 out of Rygge air base and flew to nearby forest areas for white-out condition training. The downforce nearby the Chinook is overpowering and enclosing typhoon force. Pilots and loadmasters train this to get used to less sight landings. As snow landings are a little less dangerous then landings in the sand, the next step in training is the Hot Blaze exercise, in which brown-out conditions are trained. Visibility in sand dust is near to none as remains for a longer period in the air.

Two Dutch Chinooks inside a Rygge hangar during exercise Snow Blaze 2012.

The Netherlands ordered 13 CH-47Ds in the 1990s. Six were new from Boeing, including D-106, and seven were remanufactured Canadian Chinooks. Two were lost in Afghanistan.

Pictured lifting off rw27 to depart Fairford after taking part in the static display at RIAT 2011. Great view for the guy on the ramp!