SUBITO Team
About the Team
SUBITO Team is a Swiss civilian formation aerobatic team flying three Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainers from the Fliegermuseum Altenrhein, based at St. Gallen–Altenrhein Airport (LSZR) on Lake Constance. Their compact 8–10 minute display blends tight formation flypasts, formation loops, dynamic breaks and a dramatic opposition pass, with all aircraft fitted with white-smoke generators for visual effect.
SUBITO appears frequently at events across Switzerland and occasionally abroad. The name “subito”—Italian for “immediately”—reflects the team’s crisp timing and no-nonsense presentation style rooted in disciplined training culture at the museum.
About the Pilatus PC-7
Type & role. The Pilatus PC-7 is a Swiss-built, low-wing turboprop basic trainer renowned for rugged handling and aerobatic capability—ideal for close formation displays.
Powerplant. Single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25A turboprop (approx. 550 shp) driving a three-blade propeller. This reliable engine family is a mainstay of training fleets worldwide.
Airframe & aerobatics. All-metal construction with a stressed airframe suitable for standard aerobatic manoeuvres; typical training envelopes use positive/negative g limits in the region of +6/−3 g. SUBITO aircraft carry smoke systems and wear classic old and new Swiss Air Force style liveries for heritage appeal.
Team Facts
Display Aircraft
3 × Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer
Display Length
~8–10 minutes
Base
Fliegermuseum Altenrhein, LSZR
Status
Active civilian team
Team History
SUBITO grew out of the display culture at the Fliegermuseum Altenrhein, whose flying wing maintains historic and classic types and runs structured formation and recurrent training for display pilots. The museum fields several formations; the PC-7 three-ship “SUBITO” is its modern turboprop crowd-pleaser, echoing Swiss Air Force visual heritage while operating as a purely civilian act.
The trio’s hallmark sequence opens with four-point alignment flypasts, builds through formation loops and barrel rolls, and concludes with a fan break before an opposition pass between the singleton and the remaining pair—compact, tidy and perfectly suited to Swiss venues where sightlines are close and timing is everything.
Did You Know?
- “Subito” means “immediately” in Italian—fitting for their snap-accurate timing.
- All three PC-7s are fitted with white-smoke systems for display work.
- The team is based at the Fliegermuseum Altenrhein on the southern shore of Lake Constance.
- The aircraft carry historic and modern Swiss Air Force-style liveries, enhancing their heritage look.
- While a regular at Swiss shows, international appearances are relatively rare—making sightings abroad a treat.
