You are on a page with information about the national standard procedures.
Approvals according to national standard procedures are still based on Swiss national law.
The FOCA has developed a total of five national standard scenarios. Note that with the new regulation, some of these are only applicable under certain conditions. All CH STSs will be completely replaced by the European STS by end of 2023 (subject to adoption of the EU drone regulation). CH STS permits could, however, then remain valid for a maximum of 2 years.
The following guidelines apply to all CH-STS
Approvals are issued until end of 2023
Each approval is valid for a maximum of 2 years
The acquisition of pilot skills relevant to the operation of the drone(s) in the context of the specific scenario is required. Full details of the required pilot skills can be found in the following document:
The operation of UAVs for spraying purposes requires a permit from the Federal Office of Civil Aviation. The requirements for such an application depend on the type of UAV used and the product sprayed.
In order to apply plant protection products, the aircraft must be authorised for ground application. This technical authorisation is carried out by Agroscope. New aircraft must also undergo a spray test carried out by Agroscope or by an inspection body approved by the Federal Office for Agriculture. The main purpose of this test is to ensure that the drift of these aircraft is similar to that of spraying machines for ground applications. The spray tests must be repeated every three years on each aircraft.
The FOCA can only issue an operating permit if the applicant has an approved aircraft. In order to apply for a permit, the standard procedure requirements must be met and the following form must be sent to the FOCA.
This CH-STS is used for flights beyond the visual line of sight between the pilot and the UAS below 120 metres. The flight takes place over a controlled area, i.e. only persons involved in the flight may be present in this area on the ground. The maximum permitted distance between the pilot and the UAS is 1km. This distance may be extended to 2km as long as the distance between the UAS and an airspace observer (AO) is no more than 1km at any time and the AO is no more than 1km away from the pilot. This scenario allows for a maximum of only one AO, who must check the surrounding airspace for approaching traffic at all times and inform the pilot accordingly.
CH BVLOS operation with airspace observer over sparsely populated area
This CH-STS is used for flights beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) between the pilot and the UAS below 120 metres. The flight is in uncontrolled airspace over a sparsely populated area, i.e an area with no more than 10 inhabited houses in a 100-metre radius. The maximum permitted distance between the pilot and the UAS is 1km. This scenario allows for several AOs, so the distance can be extended as desired, provided that the distance between the UAS and the nearest AO is no more than 1km at any time. The AOs must check the airspace around them for approaching traffic at all times and inform the pilot accordingly.
The standard procedure for professional FPV races allows an event organiser to organise and hold FPV races in Switzerland. The permit is issued to the event organiser and allows the participating pilots to operate their drones beyond direct visual line of sight within a defined and secured race circuit.
This procedure allows flights to be conducted within a limited area and only over closed circles of people in the context of small events (weddings, birthdays etc.). The frameworks are relatively restricted: The authorisation procedure allows drones weighing less than 2.4 kg to be flown at less than 100 m from gatherings of people. The height of flights in this context is limited to 30 m above ground level. The gathering must be under the control of the operator. This means that participants at such gatherings are informed that a drone is to be flown and that the procedures associated with such operations are explained. They must also be informed of the potential risks involved with such operations.
