View Full Version : landing in a garden in Switzerland
Sam Rutherford
20th Mar 2012, 10:31
So, I'm going to see a friend near Lausanne tomorrow in an R44.
We'll come in/go out via Lausanne (so entering/leaving CH is all easy and legal). I'm wondering if we can then go and land in his garden (big garden, out of town) as per UK system (landowners permission etc.) or whether the Swiss are more complicated (or less!).
Thanks for any advice.
Fly safe, Sam.
md 600 driver
20th Mar 2012, 10:41
Sam
From what I was told some time ago only Swiss registered helis are allowed to land off airport
GoodGrief
20th Mar 2012, 10:54
Did that 10 years ago in a non Swiss regd machine, it's no problem.
There was some police permission required, IIRC.
Hyds Out
20th Mar 2012, 12:31
To land a non Swiss registered helicopter off airfield, you will need to get authorisation from FOCA, the Swiss CAA. Prior to this, you will need to get permission from the land owner and send that to FOCA. They process can be done quite quickly, but maybe not in less than 24 hrs.
Even when you do land off airfield with permission, you get asked by almost everyone that passes you if you have said permission, and could even get a visit from a local official to check it.
Or re-reg to HB and land anywhere.
Hope that helps.
Sam Rutherford
20th Mar 2012, 13:26
That's very helpful, thanks!
Fly safe, Sam.
Bellrider
20th Mar 2012, 20:27
..and donīt forget custom! the swiss border police is not very gentil!
Aucky
20th Mar 2012, 21:27
otherwise pop in to La Cote (LSGP) it's got a fantastic restaurant immediately next door, and the guys are very friendly. Only a short hop form Lausanne by car, with customs, if you don't have time sort police permissions etc..
JTobias
20th Mar 2012, 21:31
Seems a pretty ridiculous system to me ! Don't the Swiss realise that the very purpose of a helicopter is to provide versatility. What difference does the registration make ?
Nonsense !
Joel :ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:
Bellrider
20th Mar 2012, 22:06
... ok i can tell you really bad stories about that country:
Last year our company (german) wanted to make a commercial movie mission in switzerland! We wanted to come in with an Bell 206 with a Nose mount camera sys, but we got no aprovement from the swiss border police to operate with our heli in "their" country, becaus that could be although done by an swiss heli company!
that means you get no aprovement to fly commercial missions with an foreign heli in switzerland, except you can prove that only you and no other swiss heli company can do that job!
We had luck, because the camera system had no STC for swiss helicopters, so no company in switzerland was able to do that job with that special camera equipment.
But i tell you it was a big fight with the swiss heli association, until we got a clearence to do that mission!
GoodGrief
20th Mar 2012, 22:44
Remember, Switzerland is not part of the EU.
It surely is their right to protect their own.
The Swiss have approximately 330 helicopters of their own for a population of ~7.8 million and they have Swiss Regulations with their own peculiarities.
So I have no doubt that they are well versed in the capabilities of a helicopter. Any town with more than 10 people and a dog in it seems to have a local operator.
Having held a Swiss CPL(H) in the past for about 4 years I can assure you things are different.
On licence conversion where the exam can be sat in English yet the regulations are not published in English can be interesting. Official languages are French, Italian, German or Romansch. You would assume that it would be straight forward as ICAO Rules and Regs are all pretty much the same.
Not so - the exam is on the Swiss differences and they are numerous. The exam is written in English composed by a German speaking person.
Even PVT landings in HB registered aircraft off airport are limited in movements. Any landings above 3500' and MOU endorsement is required. AOC holders have a lot more leeway naturally.
In addition there are local regulations and rules that need to be addressed and the local operators have worked long and hard to work within them. Last thing they want is someone coming along and destroying all that hard work by not adhering to the rules.
The place is lousy with wires and cables in places you just cannot imagine. Without intimate local knowledge and adhering to strict rules of thumb you will not last long.
It becomes apparent after a while that if you are not Swiss you never will be. You are tolerated but never fully accepted.
Thats the way it is and you cant really knock it as it is their right.
For me, unless you have all the boxes ticked, I would not try and blag it as they will catch up with you.
Rotorbee
21st Mar 2012, 06:11
Directly from the FOCA page:
http://www.bazl.admin.ch/fachleute/flugbetrieb/00325/01010/index.html?lang=de&download=NHzLpZeg7t,lnp6I0NTU042l2Z6ln1acy4Zn4Z2qZpnO2Yuq2Z6 gpJCDeIN_f2ym162epYbg2c_JjKbNoKSn6A--
Would take a while to get permission.
ross_M
21st Mar 2012, 06:23
Even when you do land off airfield with permission, you get asked by almost everyone that passes you if you have said permission,
Does sound very Swiss.
It becomes apparent after a while that if you are not Swiss you never will be. You are tolerated but never fully accepted.
Very true. Which is ironic for a nation that has as many foreigners as they do.