Rules tightened for drones

The shots are without a doubt spectacular. Perspectives that cannot be realized from the ground can be achieved with a drone. But you can’t buy a drone and fly and photograph the Swiss landscape. There are rules to better protect privacy, security and environmental protection and they have been tightened for this year.

Switzerland adopted EU drone regulations on January 1, 2023. One of the most important regulations concerns data protection. All drone pilots capable of collecting so-called personal data are now required to register with the Federal Office of Civil Aviation FOCA at uas.gate. This affects all drones that can disappear because they are equipped with a film and/or photo camera. Films and photos of individuals are considered personal data. Drones with microphones or other sensors that can record sensitive data are also subject to registration.

Already 10,000 records

Even without proper registration facilities, pilots are only required to register their remote-controlled aircraft if it weighs more than 250 grams. This also corresponds to a tightening compared to the previously valid Swiss law, where the minimum weight was 500 grams.

A certificate is also required for drones heavier than 250 grams. It can be purchased with a free online trial on the registration platform. Certificate of liability insurance with at least 1 million CHF coverage must also be submitted here. The test takes about four hours, while the recording takes only a few minutes. Since last November, nearly 10,000 people have signed up with the federal government and also taken the exam.

More EU tightening

EU regulation also reduces the maximum weight from 30 kilograms to 25 kilograms. FOCA should approve heavier drones. In addition, drones are now divided into three categories according to their operational risk: “Open”, “Private” and “Requires permission”. Open category drones can no longer fly over crowds.

Customers may purchase a drone without certification or registration, in part because certain technical information about the aircraft is required for registration. However, customers should be informed when purchasing that there are certain rules to be followed during the flight. Switzerland also has a minimum age of twelve to fly a drone.

Fly safely and accurately

The FOCA drone guide provides a quick overview of applicable rules. It shows under what conditions a drone can fly, when registration and when permission is required. The guide also provides other important information about drones flying in Switzerland. For example, drones are prohibited from flying within a five kilometer radius of civil or military airports, and there are other restricted zones or temporary flight bans. An example of the latter is the airspace over Davos during DEF. FOCA has compiled all flight bans on an interactive online map.

Juicy fines threaten

Anyone not registering their drone or flying it without the necessary permission is in violation of the Aviation Law. This can result in fines of up to CHF 20,000, revocation of pilot’s license, additional training and even jail time. However, it can be assumed that drone pilots will not immediately feel the full force of the law, unless they block air traffic at Zurich Airport. Since there is no catalog of penalties, as for road traffic, the court determines the amount of the fine for each case.