New Swiss regulations on drones spark influx of applications

Filling up the skies: regulators in Switzerland and elsewhere are chasing after drones. © Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller

Since authorities announced new reporting and training regulations for drones just over a month ago, 10,000 pilots have already registered.

The Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) is “inundated with applications”, its spokesman Christian Schubert told Keystone-ATS on Thursday.

At the end of November, the government said that Switzerland would adopt European Union (EU) regulations on drones and other unmanned aircraft from 1 January. The new rules set safety and operational standards and require training and examination for certain categories of drones. They also define weight limits, maximum flight heights and geographical restrictions.

In the five weeks since the new rules were announced, as well as the 10,000 registrations, about the same number have taken an online test to obtain the guidance certificate required for drones weighing 250 grams or more.

Continued influx

“Most pilots are serious and comply with the rules,” the FOCA said. Certificates that were issued before the new rules, either by UAS.gate or abroad, remain valid.

For most aircraft, i.e. those in the so-called “open” category, a free registration is sufficient. For others, which concern specific professional uses such as crop-spraying or transport, a permit is required. The same applies for flying over certain areas, such as near airports or over prisons.

Schubert expects the influx of applications to continue at between 8,000 and 10,000 per month. Before taking off, pilots are also required to consult specific maps published by the FOCA indicating flight restrictions.