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Piaggio P.149D

The Piaggio P.149D, a four-seat, single-engine trainer, liaison and touring plane, was developed by Italian manufacturer Piaggio Aero and is an all-metal construction. The "Piggi", as it was nicknamed by its pilots, first flew on June 16, 1953, and some 270 were built over the next ten years (190 of which were built under licence by Focke-Wulf in Bremen). This aerobatically capable light utility aircraft was predominantly used by the German Air Force (for an impressive 33 years), but a P.149D was also in service with the Austrian Air Force from 1958 to 1965.

The Fw 149D is a license-built version of the Italian Piaggio P.149. That´s why most of the Germans still call their Focke-Wulfs „Piggi". In 1955 it was chosen by the German Air Force, which was in the market for a more spacious and comfortable trainer and liasion aircraft, but which was still able to pull fairly high G loads for aerobatic training. Piaggio collaborated with Focke-Wulf to build the 149D under license at their Bremen, West Germany facility. The "D" designation following the numerals 149 indicates "Deutschland" (Germany).

The D-EOGE is still used by the Bundeswehr Sportfliegergemeinschaft Fürstenfeldbruck, where once it was used by the training squadron of the former German Jagdbombergeschwader 49 (Fighter Bomber Wing). The FWP.149D variant, which bears the registration HB-KIU of the Fliegermuseum Altenrhein in Switzerland, was built by Focke-Wulf in 1960 and today it serves as a sightseeing, touring and transport plane. Its livery is a reminder that Swissair bought this model from 1959 and made it available to the former Swiss Aviation School (SLS) for the basic training of airline pilots.