GdiF says goodbye to P166

On 1 March 2022, the Italian Guardia di Finanza said goodbye to an unmistakable and charming aircraft, characterised by its unusual seagull shaped wing and pushing propellers.

During the 68th anniversary of the founding of the Servizio Aereo (Corps Air Service), the last flight of the Piaggio P166DP-1 also took place.

For the occasion, a sober special colour livery was applied to Piaggio P166DP-1 MM62264/GF-06. The aircraft returned to Pratica di Mare (RM) air base near Rome and was greeted by the water cannons of the airport firefighting vehicles.

The Piaggio P166 is an Italian designed and built six-seat, small commuter airliner developed from an earlier Piaggio P136 amphibian design, and first flown in November 1957. The aircraft model name was Portofino. Hence the high wings and engines to keep them up and away from water spray.

Various models were built of different capacities, with later models using more powerful turbo-prop power plants. The design was aimed at the lucrative American civil business transport market and several examples were purchased worldwide for use as executive transports or as feeder and taxi aircraft.

The type saw extensively use in Italy. The Aeronautica Militare (ItAF, Italian Air Force) evaluated the type during 1961 and received 49 P166M(-APM) between 1960 and 1968, two P166BL2-APH photo survey aircraft and six P166DL3-APH photo survey aircraft. They were mainly used as liaison and multi-engine training aircraft.

The Guardia Costiera (Coast Guard) received 12 P166DL3-SEM1 between 1988 and 1990, which were retired by July 2017.

The Guardia di Finanza received two former Alitalia P166-DL3 as trainer/utility aircraft in 1990 and ten new-built P166DL3-SEM between 1991 and 1995. Eight aircraft were converted to P166DP1 standard.

There is still one flying example in Italy; Piaggio P166C I-FENI, a former demonstration aircraft of Piaggio.

Photos via aviation-report.com