How much latitude do you have when using a drone?
How much latitude do you have when using a drone?
"A lot of people have drones these days. I'd like to give one to my son as a present, but I'd like to know whether he needs authorisation to use it. Will he be able to film the football matches he goes to at the weekend?
C. , Veyrier
The use of drones is booming. They are considered to be remotely controlled aircraft, and are legally treated in the same way as model aircraft. No authorisation is required for their use, provided that the pilot maintains visual contact with the drone at all times, which must not weigh more than 30kg. However, a licence from the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) is required to operate a drone that does not meet these criteria, in accordance with the Ordinance of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) on special category aircraft.
This federal ordinance specifies that it is forbidden to use a drone weighing between 0.5 and 30 kg within 100 m of a gathering of people in the open air, such as a festival or sporting event, unless prior authorisation has been obtained from the FOCA, which will ensure that all necessary measures are taken to avoid endangering people or other airspace users. The tightening of the rules introduced on 1 August 2014 is in response to public concern about the increasing presence of drones in Switzerland and safety problems at public events in the event of the aircraft falling into the crowd, following several incidents at concerts or, indeed, football matches.
It is also forbidden to use drones within 5 km of the runways of civil or military aerodromes, and in the control zones surrounding them, it is forbidden to fly drones more than 150 m above the ground.
In short, your son won't be able to use his drone to film sporting events without prior authorisation, unless it's a toy weighing less than 500 grams, which he'll have to keep a close eye on at all times, respecting any instructions from the organisers and everyone else's privacy. In any case, you must ensure that your child does not use the toy in prohibited places.
