landing in a garden in Switzerland
landing in a garden in Switzerland
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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..
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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
Nonsense !
Joel
... 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!
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!
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.
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.
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Even when you do land off airfield with permission, you get asked by almost everyone that passes you if you have said permission,
It becomes apparent after a while that if you are not Swiss you never will be. You are tolerated but never fully accepted.
