Can I fly FPV alone, without an observer?

No, not in the open category: the FOCA requires an observer next to the pilot, who keeps the drone in direct sight. Without one, the flight is out of sight and requires FOCA authorisation.

Does a drone under 250 g escape the rules?

Not entirely. Registration is waived only if it has no personal-data sensor — a camera is enough to make it compulsory. Insurance is required only above 250 g, and training is recommended rather than required in class C0. Zones, height and the ban on flying over gatherings apply to everyone.

Does Glydar replace the official map?

No. Glydar reproduces the zones of the official drone map and cross-references pilots’ experience, but replaces neither that map nor the day’s DABS. To be checked before every flight.

What is the risk in case of an infringement?

A fine of up to 20,000 francs, and up to 40,000 francs for a serious breach of flight rules. The cases and references are in the Penalties section.

Is there a specific category? Why does this guide not cover it?

Yes: as soon as the open-category rules cannot be followed — flight out of sight, drone over 25 kg, flight above 120 m, flying over gatherings, dangerous goods —, the flight falls under the specific category, with FOCA authorisation. Glydar does not cover it: it is aimed at pilots who fly mostly for leisure, hence in the open category, and a short, verified guide is better than an approximate one on a more complex regime. The official guide is the FOCA’s: drones and the specific category.

Is this guide enough to fly legally?

No: it simplifies the open category and refers to the texts. Responsibility for checking is yours — see the Responsibility section.

Flying a drone in Switzerland: the regulations guide (open category)

1 · The open category

The FOCA (Federal Office of Civil Aviation; BAZL in German) says so itself: in Switzerland, the same rules as in the other EASA Member States apply. Without FOCA authorisation, the general rules of the open category must be followed — the European framework — which are set out here as the FOCA summarises them:

120 m height above the ground, at most.
Flying over gatherings of people is prohibited.
Flying within sight only; crewed aviation has priority.
Geographical restrictions are respected; when emergency services with blue lights intervene, the drone lands.
Remote identification (Remote ID) is switched on; privacy is respected.

A1 — class C0, or under 250 g: flying over uninvolved people is allowed. Class C1: to be avoided, and if it happens, move away immediately.
A2 — no flying over people; horizontal distance equal to the greater of these two values: 30 m (5 m in low-speed mode) or the flight height (1:1 rule).
A3 — no flying over people; at least 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas, and, from uninvolved people, the greater of these two values: 30 m or the flight height.

Night flying is allowed: a flashing green light is attached to the drone and switched on, and direct line of sight is still required — so one does not always climb as high as by day. In built-up areas, the open category has no explicit rule: it is up to the pilot to judge, respecting the ban on flying over gatherings and the distance to people.

2 · Zones, restrictions and airspace

Switzerland has zones where flying is prohibited or limited, and the pilot must find out before every flight. The reference is the FOCA’s interactive drone map, which carries the national and cantonal restrictions — the cantons may issue some for drones under 25 kg. It changes constantly: it is checked every time. To enter a restricted zone, permission is requested from the body indicated on the map.

The DABS (Daily Airspace Bulletin Switzerland), published every day and updated several times, carries the restrictions of the moment: they also apply to drones, and it is checked before every flight. Particular attention is required near hospital heliports, mountain landing sites, danger zones of army firing ranges and paragliding, hang-gliding and gliding areas.

Glydar reproduces on its map the geographical zones of the official drone map — see the coverage, country by country. It does not display the DABS: it is checked separately.

3 · Registration, training and insurance

Operator registration is compulsory, unless the drone weighs under 250 g and has no personal-data sensor (a camera is enough to make registration compulsory). It is done on the dLIS platform: an operator number is issued. It costs CHF 10, is valid without time limit in all EASA Member States, and requires a minimum age of 12 (a legal representative is declared below 16).
Training and exam for the remote pilot: compulsory, except for a drone under 250 g of class C0 (or with no class) — where they are recommended. Certificates issued via dLIS are valid in Switzerland, the EU, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland. The minimum age in the open category is 12; younger than that, a trained adult aged at least 16 supervises directly.
Third-party liability insurance: compulsory above 250 g, with cover of at least 1 million francs (art. 35 of the VLK ordinance).
A drone is a radio transmitter: frequency questions fall to the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM / BAKOM).

4 · FPV and immersive flying

With video goggles, the FOCA rule is clear: the remote pilot is assisted by an observer (“spotter”) who stands next to them, keeps the drone in direct sight with the naked eye, watches the airspace and warns the pilot of a danger or of an approaching aircraft.

Without an observer, or if the observer loses visual contact, the flight is beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS): it falls under the specific category and must be authorised by the FOCA.

5 · Before every flight

Check the official drone map — or Glydar, which reproduces its zones — then the day’s DABS.
Look at the collision-risk zones: heliports, mountain sites, firing ranges, free-flight areas.
Check the operator number, the insurance (above 250 g) and that remote identification is switched on.
At night: the flashing green light, and direct line of sight — which limits the height.

This guide simplifies — it replaces neither the official texts nor an up-to-date check. If in doubt: FOCA, drone map, DABS.

6 · Penalties: what the law says

Aviation criminal law applies to the remote pilot. Here is what the text of the law provides, with nothing added:

Breach of traffic rules, or of operating requirements that serve the safety of persons or property: a fine of up to 20,000 francs, whether intentional or through negligence (art. 91, para. 1, of the Aviation Act — LFG).
Serious breach of these rules: a fine of up to 40,000 francs (art. 91, para. 3, LFG).
No operator registration: punished under art. 91, para. 1, let. b, LFG (art. 41, para. 2, of the VLK ordinance); no third-party liability insurance (above 250 g): under art. 91, para. 1, let. i (art. 41, para. 1, VLK).

These are ceilings: the judge assesses each case. They are those of the text at the date this guide was checked (October 2026) — the text of the law prevails, not this page.

7 · Your responsibility, and what Glydar does

Glydar informs; it exempts from nothing. This guide and the map draw on official sources but are not an official source, do not guarantee that they are complete or up to date, and are not a flight authorisation.

The remote pilot remains solely responsible for their flight and its compliance, as the terms of use recall. Everything needed to check is within reach: the coverage, country by country, the official map and the texts cited below.

Flying a drone in Switzerland: the regulations guide