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Registration with the federal government – only half of the drone pilots have registered – news

10 July 2023

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According to an estimate by the Federal Office for Civil Aviation, there are around 100,000 drone pilots in Switzerland. However, only 54,000 private individuals have complied with the obligation to register. Also because some do not know where to report.

Anyone who wants to legally fly their drone in the sky must register with the Federal Office for Civil Aviation FOCA. At the beginning of the year, the federal government introduced a registration obligation for owners of drones that weigh more than 250 grams or are equipped with sensors such as a microphone or camera.

All drones over 250 grams also require a driver’s license, which can usually be obtained online. With this regulation, the federal government wants to better control drone flights. According to the FOCA, around 54,000 private individuals have registered so far.

Legend:

Not all drone pilots have yet registered with the FOCA.

Keystone/Gaëtan Bally

In addition, there are around 1,700 companies that would use drones commercially, says Sandra Bodmer, head of the responsible section at the FOCA. The Federal Office is satisfied with these figures.

Probably over 100,000 drone pilots

The number of registrations would continue to increase, says Bodmer. “Especially at the beginning of the year, the curve went up steeply.” There is a willingness to register. However, there were also inquiries from people who did not know where to register but emphasized that they wanted to travel legally, according to Bodmer.

It is not exactly clear how many people fly drones in Switzerland. In 2021, the FOCA estimated the number of drone pilots at around 100,000 in a report – and the trend is rising. That should mean that only about half of the drone pilots have reported to the federal government.

The President of the Association of Civilian Drones, Dominik Peter, believes that the obligation to register is not being complied with, especially in tourist areas. For example on the Jungfraujoch, where there is a ban on flying due to the high mountain airfield, or in Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland, where Rega operates a base.

Rega spokesman Adrian Schindler confirms that Rega would repeatedly report violations of restricted zones to the FOCA. At first glance, however, the obligation to register does not change much for Rega. The problem is drones flouting restricted zones, regardless of whether they’re registered.

According to Schindler, the drones are very difficult to see from the cockpit. “And if there were a collision, it could have fatal consequences for the helicopter crew.”

If all drones were tagged, there would be a little more control, says Peter. Crashed drones could be attributed to the pilot and the person will be fined if they break the rules. So there is still room for improvement when it comes to the regulation of drone flights.