FAQ Prod

The skyguide mobile app is meant for drone pilots to help them fly their drone safely and legally. The app enables the pilot to :

• Directly register themselves in the system;
• Be aware of airspace restrictions and local constraints within a specific area at a specific time and for a specific operation:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Permanent Danger Areas
            2. Other Navigation Warnings
            3. Other Landing Sites
            4. Glider Sectors
            5. Military Temporary Reserved Areas

• Consult general rules to follow within Switzerland :

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Air Traffic Related Constraints
            2. Civil Liability
            3. Operational Constraints (including Prohibited and Restricted Areas)
            4. Public Security, Privacy Protection and Environment Constraints
            5. Environmental protection

• Plan and submit single or multiple flights;
• Request directly for skyguide approvals in case of flying below UFM (U-Space Facility Maps)
• Receive airspace geofencing alerts
• Receive real-time air traffic situation and alerts
• Share your drone real-time position.

You can download the skyguide mobile app here:

To be able to fly with the app, the system must identify the pilot, requiring certain information. This will allow you to benefit from other services in the future.

The legal procedures a drone pilot has to follow to fly in Switzerland are the following :

• skyguide Visual Flight Rules Manual (VFR RAC 4, §7)
• skyguide Special Flights
• FOCA website

Even you are using the skyguide mobile app, you need to get authorization from other local authorities (police, federal office for environment, etc.), if locally required.

AirMap is skyguide’s technical partner for U-Space. AirMap has developed the technological platform, while skyguide operates the services.

You can do so directly on the map, by pointing your finger at the location you want to fly to and holding it there.

This will bring up the Flight Plan Creation page, where you can enter and record details of your mission.

The first step here is to define the flight area. You have three options:

• A circle around the takeoff point
• A trajectory from A to B
• A free-form area.

Once recorded, your flight plan can be submitted.

Yes. During flight plan creation, point with your finger to the location you want to fly to (the small white circle) and move it on the map.

Yes. In the Flight Creation > Flight Plan Details section, select “Start time and duration”, and then choose the date and time you want to fly.

Red indicates parks and natural reserves.
Orange corresponds to the 5km zone around the airports and heliports.
Blue means:

• Controlled airspace, called CTR (control traffic region or control zone)
• Permanent Prohibited Area
• Permanent Restricted Area
• Permanent Danger Area
• Other Navigation Warnings
• Glider Temporary Reserved Areas
• Other Landing Sites
• Military Temporary Reserved Areas

Detailed information about local constraints is provided before and during flight plan creation.

LAANC Lite refers to the process to submit an approval request for drone flights below U-Space Facility Maps (UFM). Below the UFM values, individual drone flight plans can be submitted latest by 12:00 the last (working) day before the flight. Please consider last working day before weekend or holidays when impacting a military air base (i.e. Dübendorf).

Keep in mind that after submitting your flight plan below UFM, it still needs to be acknowledged by ATC during the day before the flight. In addition, approval to execute the activity is only provided by ATC during the phone call at the day of flight.

The U-Space Facility Map is a grid surrounding a skyguide aerodrome (5km around it) displaying the heights enabling LAANC Lite process for drone operators. Skyguide approval is required above and below UFM values. However, only the approval request process for flights below UFM can be started through the skyguide U-Space app.

The skyguide U-Space app is an application exclusively dedicated to drone operators. Approval requests for individual drone flights below UFM can be processed through this app.

For all other types of special flights and for the rest of drone flights requiring skyguide approval (above UFM, impacting aerodromes without UFM or above 150 meters AGL within CTR further than 5km from the runways), the approval request process has to be started in the skyguide SFO tool.

Your account credentials as Operator are the same for the skyguide U-Space app and the skyguide SFO tool. All your approval requests for drone flights can be managed at the skyguide SFO tool, even if the flight plan was created through the skyguide U-Space app.

Yes. Once your flight plan has been submitted, you can connect to the DJI controller by simply clicking on the icon which is located in the top right-hand corner.

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Note that you can fly with other brands of drone, but you will not be able to connect it to the drone app. You will still be able to fly with the skyguide app, with the following services:

• the rules can be consulted;
• the airspace is visible;
• the flight plan can be sent;
• request skyguide for approvals when applicable (below UFM);
• the air traffic monitoring is available.

Drone operator is able to see manned (telemetry) and unmanned traffic (flight plans). Manned traffic is only displayed to the user when flight plan is submitted. Unmanned traffic (flight plans) are always displayed before and after flight plan is submitted.

The app only informs you about relevant traffic which might be in conflict with your flight, and only traffic detected by air traffic sensors.

Yes: you can view other drone flights that have been shared publicly to skyguide. We advise you to select “Share my flight” in the parameters section, so that limited details of your flight are shared with the U-Space community. You will then be visible by other airspace users!

This is real traffic detection, with a few seconds delay due to the multiple detection technologies involved.

Skyguide uses various internal and external sources – secondary radar, ADS-B, FLARM and more – to depict the traffic situation.

No. You must terminate your current flight and submit a modified flight plan.

The operator is the person or entity responsible for the overall management of the operation. The operator must fulfill their regulatory responsibilities, plan their flights and operations, share information on their operational intentions and safely conduct their operations using all the information available.

Feedback is welcome! Please provide it by connecting here https://www.skyguide.ch/swiss-u-space/support