Fliegerstaffel 17 features a red falcon on a white ground with the black number 17 as its coat of arms.

From 1939 to 1942, flights were operated with C-35 and Fokker CV from Belinzona, Littau, Rümlang, Weinfelden, Hilfikon, Spreitenbach and other then airfields.

The first jet aircraft operations of the Fliegerstaffel 17 were taken up from 1955 with De Havilland D.H. 112 Mk 4 Venom on Buochs Air Base and Militärflugplatz Emmen, which continued until 1967.

The co-founder of the F/A-18 Hornet solo display and head of flight safety Stéphane Rapaz is a pilot at Fliegerstaffel 17.

On the 5 June 2024, the Fliegerstaffel 17 performed landing and take-off exercise on the Payerne A1 section of the motorway.