Drones

According to the NZZ on May 26, Federal Councilor Doris Leuthard proudly announced at Forum 100 that Switzerland already holds a leading international position. Various stakeholders in research, business, and politics support this view, and economic development agencies see potential for attracting companies to Switzerland.

When politicians and business leaders talk about drones today, they are hardly referring to our model airplanes. This indirectly reveals that drones are a very specific type of aircraft. Anyone who then takes a closer look at the content of presentations and lectures will inevitably conclude that they are, without exception, robots. However, it must be noted right away that, unfortunately, Switzerland has not held a leading position in the field of robotics for quite some time. The drone hype might just bring this need to catch up into sharp relief.

The same NZZ article mentions that the well over 100,000 drones sold do not fall under the research and economic sectors mentioned earlier. These drone pilots will soon be required to obtain a license. Or, to put it another way: Politicians are dreaming of a big win and global corporations, while at the same time seeking to restrict the sale and operation of hobby drones—multicopters, etc.—letting the big players devour the small ones. By sacrificing the small players, the authorities can then prove that they have done something for safety.

If, in Switzerland—following in the EU’s footsteps—licensing requirements for us model airplane enthusiasts were to make their way onto the political agenda, we’ll have to fight back. Because with developments like this, it’s usually the organizers who get the short end of the stick. They’re easy targets and give the authorities the hypocritical satisfaction of believing they’ve done something good. Nip it in the bud!

E. Giezendanner

P.S. If flying drones pose a danger to aviation, they’re unfortunately still in their infancy. Unfinished cars don’t belong on public roads, and unfinished aircraft don’t belong in general airspace.

Given the major technological and societal developments we can expect in the field of robotics—including drones—the introduction of uniform international standards for drone regulations is entirely understandable, without any ifs or buts. Authorities will face enormous challenges in these areas. However, to be honest, it must be noted right away that policymakers always lag behind technical developments.

But if traditional model aircraft flying—which takes place almost entirely at the local level—is to be subject to the same regulations in accordance with the “natural law” of administration, the nonsense of such measures will go down in history as yet another absurdity and will one day have to be reversed.

1. How high does a tethered glider weighing 3 kg fly? 20 m, 50 m, or over 120 m?

2. Does indoor flying within the CTR also fall under the 120-meter limit?

3. Which free-flight models weigh more than 250 g?

Anyone who can answer all these questions correctly will receive the EU Passport for Competent Model Aviators, rated on a scale from 1 to 10 AS. Congratulations!

Skye is a flying robot. It has a helium-filled shell and four flight pads. It is also equipped with a camera. It is controlled via a touchscreen or a 3D mouse.