Altenrhein Aviation Museum

What Altenrhein Aviation Museum does

Fliegermuseum Altenrhein (FMA), legally Verein Fliegermuseum Altenrhein, is a Swiss private association founded in 1994 that operates a flying aviation museum and flight operations organization from Altenrhein Airport in Canton St. Gallen. It maintains a fleet of nine airworthy historical aircraft with connections to Swiss aviation, including three Pilatus PC-7 MkI turboprop trainers, two Pilatus P3 piston trainers, a Boeing PT13D Stearman biplane, a Dornier Do 27 H-2 STOL transport, and a Lockheed Electra Junior Model 12A. The organization is structured into flight operations, maintenance (delivered through its wholly-owned subsidiary Historic Flight Maintenance HFM GmbH), logistics, and administration. It positions itself as unique in Europe for keeping heritage aircraft airworthy and presenting them in flight rather than only as static exhibits.

The museum's commercial offering centers on three revenue streams: annual and multi-year memberships that grant access to passenger flights in historic aircraft (single CHF 80/year, family CHF 140, student CHF 35, 5-year CHF 360), airshow and corporate display bookings flown by FMA pilots, and cooperative share sales (CHF 500 for natural persons, CHF 1,000 for legal entities). Two branded aerobatic formation teams — the three-aircraft PC-7 SUBITO Team and the two-aircraft Patrouille Papillon — perform at Swiss and European events, alongside solo displays on PC-7, P3, Stearman, and Do 27 aircraft. A non-flying exhibition is presented through a partnership with the FFA-Museum, with free entry for FMA members.

The organization serves aviation enthusiasts and event organizers. Its pilot cadre of more than 35 named aviators includes former Swiss Air Force commanders, retired and active airline captains from Swissair, SWISS, Edelweiss, Etihad, and Emirates, and national-level aerobatics competitors with flight hours ranging from several thousand to over 22,000. It markets through its website, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, and generates event awareness through airshow participation including the 2025 Hoher Kasten Airshow co-organized with a regional cable-car operator.

Name

Altenrhein Aviation Museum

Legal name

Verein Fliegermuseum Altenrhein

Website

https://fliegermuseum.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fliegermuseum Altenrhein is a Swiss private association operating a flying aviation museum from Altenrhein Airport, maintaining nine airworthy historic aircraft for airshow displays, corporate bookings, and members-only flight experiences across Switzerland and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Museum and Heritage Flight Operations

NAICS

Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Aircraft Management & Part 135/135-equivalent Operators (THABAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Component MRO (Avionics, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Electrical) (TLAKAJAC)

Keywords

• Aviation museum
• Historic aircraft operations
• Airshow display services
• Member flight experiences
• Vintage aircraft maintenance

Headquarters

HQ city

Altenrhein

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual and multi-year membership subscriptions providing access to member flights and museum benefits. Single membership CHF 80/year, 5-year CHF 360, family CHF 140, students CHF 35.
2. Airshow Display Bookings: Revenue from booking flight displays and demonstrations at large events, corporate occasions, and airshows.
3. Cooperative Shares: Sale of cooperative shares to natural persons (CHF 500) and legal entities (CHF 1000) for ownership participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Fliegermuseum Altenrhein (FMA) is a flying aviation museum and flight operations organization at Altenrhein airfield in Canton St. Gallen, Switzerland. It maintains and operates historical Swiss aviation aircraft — including Pilatus PC-7, Pilatus P3, Boeing Stearman, Dornier Do 27, and Lockheed Electra Junior — and presents them in flight at airshows and member experience flights. Revenue is generated primarily through membership fees, member flights, and airshow display bookings, with aircraft maintenance handled by its wholly-owned subsidiary Historic Flight Maintenance HFM GmbH.

Product overview

Fliegermuseum Altenrhein (FMA) operates as a flying aviation museum and flight operations organization at Altenrhein airfield in Switzerland. The core offering is the operation of historical Swiss aviation aircraft for airshows, displays, and member experience flights. The fleet consists of nine aircraft including three Pilatus PC-7 MkI turboprop trainers (HB-HMU, T7-FUN, T7-FMA), two Pilatus P3 piston-engine trainers (HB-RCO, HB-RCJ), one Boeing PT13D Stearman biplane (HB-RBG), one Dornier Do 27 H-2 STOL transport (HB-HKD), and one Lockheed Electra Junior Model 12A twin-engine aircraft (NC18125). Two aerobatic formation teams perform at events: the PC-7 SUBITO Team (three PC-7 aircraft) and Patrouille Papillon (two P3 aircraft). Solo displays are conducted with PC-7, P3, Boeing Stearman, and Dornier Do 27. Revenue is generated through membership fees, airshow/display bookings, and member flights. The museum's subsidiary Historic Flight Maintenance HFM GmbH provides aircraft maintenance services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PC-7 SUBITO Team: Three-plane formation aerobatic display team flying Pilatus PC-7 aircraft in Swiss Air Force liveries
• Patrouille Papillon

Products and services

• Fliegermuseum Altenrhein (FMA) Flying Aviation Museum A flying aviation museum and flight operations organization at Altenrhein airfield in Canton St. Gallen, Switzerland. Maintains and operates historical aircraft with connections to Swiss aviation and the Swiss Air Force, presenting them in flight displays for the public and members.
• Membership (Verein Fliegermuseum Altenrhein) Annual membership offering access to member flights in historical aircraft, free entry to the FFA-Museum, and support for Swiss aviation history preservation. Individual membership CHF 80/year, family CHF 140/year, students CHF 35/year, and 5-year CHF 360.
• Member Flights (Mitgliederflüge) Experience flights as a passenger in historical aircraft including the Dornier Do 27, Boeing Stearman, Lockheed Electra Junior, Pilatus P3, and Pilatus PC-7, available exclusively to museum members.
• Airshow/Display Booking Spectacular flight maneuvers by FMA pilots at large events, featuring formation and solo displays with historical aircraft for event entertainment, corporate occasions, and airshows.
• PC-7 SUBITO Team Three-aircraft formation display team flying Pilatus PC-7 aircraft with smoke systems, performing demanding formations and figures in historic and current Swiss Air Force liveries at airshows and events.
• Patrouille Papillon Two-aircraft formation display team flying Pilatus P3 aircraft with smoke systems, performing elegant flight shows with the former military trainer aircraft at airshows and events.
• Historic Flight Maintenance HFM GmbH Wholly-owned subsidiary of Fliegermuseum Altenrhein providing maintenance and upkeep of the historic aircraft fleet, enabling the museum to function as a center of competence for flight operations and maintenance of various historical aircraft.
• Static Exhibition (FFA-Museum) Non-flight-worthy static exhibits displayed through the FFA-Museum partnership, with free entry for FMA members, complementing the museum's flying aircraft collection.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million flight hours logged by Pilatus PC-7 fleet worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Historic Flight Maintenance HFM GmbHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWholly-owned subsidiary of the museum responsible for aircraft maintenance and upkeep. Enables the museum to maintain independent maintenance capability for historic aircraft.
• FFA-MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing free museum entry for FMA members. Non-flying exhibits are displayed through the FFA-Museum. Static exhibits accessible via FFA-Museum partnership.
• Hoher Kasten Drehrestaurant und Seilbahn AGflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the Hoher Kasten Airshow, held May 30-31, 2025. Partnership combining cable car tourism with aviation displays at the rotating restaurant mountain location.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Classic Wings: Swiss vintage aircraft operator offering passenger flights in historic aircraft (including Junkers Ju-52 and DC-3). Comparable Swiss operator in the heritage-flight-experience segment, though focused more on scheduled ride experiences than aerobatic displays.
• Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome: US vintage aircraft flying museum operating pre-WWI and inter-war biplanes in regular weekend airshows and passenger flights. Closely comparable model — flying heritage aircraft, ticket/event-based revenue, aerobatic demonstrations with volunteer pilots.
• Swiss Hunter Association (Swiss Hunter Team): Swiss-based heritage Hawker Hunter operator that performs formation aerobatic displays and shares pilot/crew overlap with Fliegermuseum Altenrhein (Hans-Peter Reusser of FMA is technical pilot of the Swiss Hunter Team). Closest direct peer in terms of vintage Swiss military aircraft display operations and member/event-driven revenue model.
• Patrouille Suisse: Official Swiss Air Force aerobatic demonstration team flying F-5E Tiger IIs. Comparable in that it is a Swiss formation aerobatic display team generating brand visibility through airshow appearances, though backed by the military rather than operating as a private association.

Others

• REGA (Swiss Air-Rescue): Swiss aviation operator sharing the broader Swiss aviation ecosystem and pilot pool with FMA (Konrad Bolleter is a former REGA pilot). Relevant as a Swiss aviation brand that has overlapping pilot talent, but not a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum: Restored WWII aircraft collection with airworthy warbirds, previously supported by Paul Allen. Comparable in maintaining airworthy vintage combat aircraft and providing flight experiences, though operated as a foundation rather than member association.
• Imperial War Museum Duxford: UK-based historic airfield with active flying aircraft displays and major airshows. Comparable as a flying heritage museum with airshow revenue model, though owned by a national museum rather than member-supported.
• Commemorative Air Force (CAF): Largest US-based flying museum organization, operating a fleet of restored WWII-era warbirds in airshow displays across the US. Directly comparable business model (member-supported flying museum with airshow revenue and ride experiences) but at much larger scale and US geographic focus.

Emerging players

• Aerobatic Teams (e.g., Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, Blades): Professional civilian aerobatic display teams performing at airshows. Comparable in the airshow-booking GTM motion and revenue stream, though without the museum/heritage angle.

Regional players

• Hahnweide Oldtimer Fliegertreffen: Annual vintage aircraft fly-in event in southern Germany comparable to FMA's Hoher Kasten Airshow. Comparable as a vintage aviation event organizer, though operating as an event rather than a year-round museum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCe__ribx2b2R2mFuB3NAE4Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/fliegermuseum.altenrhein
• Instagraminstagram.com/fliegermuseum.altenrhein
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fliegermuseum-altenrhein

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Altenrhein Aviation Museum