It was a Samsung phone screenshot and looks ok on Android (I checked on PC, it looks huge indeed)
Ibra wrote:
Apparently, Switzerland will have to mirror similar EU law 2020/877 soon (or has one already) but I have not digged the legal texts yet…
I don’t think so. What gave you that idea? I’m quite certain that the Swiss authorities have already confirmed that they will not be reciprocating on this law. There has definitely not been any corresponding change to Swiss law wrt entry/exit to/from Switzerland.
I’m quite certain that the Swiss authorities have already confirmed that they will not be reciprocating on this law
I could not find any new text laws, can you post a reference that Switzerland does not or will not incorporate this law?
AFAIK, it’s already implemented “somehow” for flights intra-Schengen with plenty of concessions between Switzerland/France and maybe Norway/Sweden (if we ask @LeSving or @Airborne_Again) where aircraft, as mean of transport, won’t require taxation in “customs designated airport” if used in temporary private flights with “no goods to declare”, it’s just there is no legal basis behind it at EU laws level (it’s more of a mutual understanding)
Article 141 (if you read it) is just “clarification needed for the shake of legal certainty” n procedures regarding temporary admission and temporary release, it does not add much to what is basic common sense in Aviation: CH-aircraft flying to EU and back stays CH-aircraft and EU-aircraft flying to CH and back stays EU-aircraft, irrespective of where it lands and goes in 6 months, it’s no rocket science !
If one need to import/export, they have to use customs designated airports, obviously, the aircraft stays subject to usual customs checks regarding boring stuff like drugs, smuggling, slavery, guns…at any airport where it stays but the taxation of aircraft is crystal clear
It’s no different than UK system (if we ignore immigration for bit), you will have to land in Biggin & Southend to import CH/EU aircraft or export UK aircraft, you can’t do that in Little Snoring with GAR form, it’s only usable for temporary trips and nothing to declare (or quotas)
where aircraft, as mean of transport, won’t require taxation in “customs designated airport” if used in temporary private flights with “no goods to declare”
Gosh, one should be grateful for small mercies, as the saying goes 
Reportedly, in India they do it properly. They get you to pay import duty on the fuel in your tanks – unless you bribe a line of officials with US $.
A vehicle used for travelling should always be under a temporary import. Once you start digging around that and looking for ways to bust people, you end up with stuff like this.
An airport should have an AIP entry stating whether it has Immigration and/or Customs and that should be definitive.
It does not harmonie to clarify the obvious, every bit of text helps
A vehicle used for travelling should always be under a temporary import.
Sure, it’s a sensible wish of common sense but it’s not an actual law: it has to be that way and go to temporary imports or temporary release (otherwise it’s civil war, especially for cars), the question do you need customs presence and taxation airport to get that? or the act of flying does it?
Now it’s clear in laws that (private) aircraft with no money involved (other than bribery ) crossing broders will get TA temporary admissiom regime inbound by default (or TR temporary release outbound by default), the simple act of crossing borders does it and it can’t be taxed under TA/TR !
However, it’s not that simple, there are lot of caveat on temporary import/export regimes that relate to residence and commercial aspects, for instance France, considers aircraft hire as commercial activity in “transports code” (this require an taxation airport) but treated it as private activity in “aviation code” (can go to other airports), does one want to debate this in CH-reg PA28 rented by PPL after landing in Megeve?
On commercial, airliners need customs airports and clearances even intra-Schengen with temporary admission, as they have “tax paying acivity and goods” (what AIP GEN1.2 says)
In France, previously, to get TR by default you need to be EU resident with EU goods exported and returned less than 6 months, to get TA by default you need more conditions:
The aircraft is considered as introduced to customs when the border is crossed. If there is no customs intervention, the declaration for its placement under the temporary admission system is considered as accepted and the release as granted when the border is crossed…in the event of private use, i.e. excluding all aforementioned commercial use, the period is fixed at 6 months.
Ibra wrote:
AFAIK, it’s already implemented “somehow” for flights intra-Schengen with plenty of concessions between Switzerland/France and maybe Norway/Sweden (if we ask @LeSving or @Airborne_Again) where aircraft, as mean of transport, won’t require taxation in “customs designated airport” if used in temporary private flights with “no goods to declare”, it’s just there is no legal basis behind it at EU laws level (it’s more of a mutual understanding)
Sweden used to have special customs regulations for flights between Sweden and Norway, but today Swedish customs accept private flights with nothing to declare to and from non-EU countries from any airport, provided that you give 1 HR notice to the customs authority before commencing the flight. A flight plan is acceptable notice. It is also explicit that unless you are told otherwise you don’t have to wait for customs officials if they’re not present at your notified departure/arrival time. Immigration is a different matter, but then both Sweden and Norway are in Schengen.
In Norway, customs are a bit more strict. You have to use a designated airport for flights to/from Sweden, but there are lots of them.
That was my impression EU 2020/887 is not re-inventing the wheel, it’s already there just adds more “legal clarity” and more “legal protection” (EU level not national laws)
Again, notice is required even with “nothing to declare”, in some countries this is not as obvious as one thinks because they may deal with airport staff to take care of this…
Airborne_Again wrote:
In Norway, customs are a bit more strict. You have to use a designated airport for flights to/from Sweden, but there are lots of them.Yes, and in addition to Sweden, a flightplan alone is not enough. Norwegian customs requires your flightplan also by E-Mail minimum 4 hrs before ETD or ETA.
AFAIK, it’s already implemented “somehow” for flights intra-Schengen with plenty of concessions between Switzerland/FranceSwitzerland has no special agreements with one of their neighbor countries and doesn’t need to apply this EU law. Swiss customs only differ between Intra-Schengen and Extra-Schengen flights.
JoeShmoeWithaPlane wrote:
That seems impossible operating from Switzerland with customs etc. I remember one Swiss poster saying he’s now reduced to a handful of locations abroad now. Also, the weather sucks 9 months of the year.So the question is: How bad does GA suck in Switzerland?
I have missed this topic as I was abroad and not really active here. But I am happy to give some inputs.
Weather:
Hugely depends on where you are to be located and where you want to fly to. In general, weather in Switzerland is not worse or better than elsewhere, with the notable exception of the Alps, which is a similar topic in all countries divided by mountain chains of this magnitude.
Generally, we divide between the areas north of the Alps, the Alps itself and the areas south of the Alps.
There are two major mountain chains which have massive effects on weather and therefore aviation: The Alps on a East to West – Southwest orientation and the Jura, which separates the West of Switzerland from France.
If you are located north of the Alps, basically along the path from St. Gallen Altenrhein via Zurich and Bern to Geneva, weather is comparable to Southern Germany or the adjacent French regions. VFR is possible on about 70-80% of all days throughout the year. If you destination out of Switzerland is anywhere which does not require crossing the Alps, weather is not a worse factor than anywhere in adjacent places, Germany, France, Austria and everything to the north of those.
If you are located South of the Alps and stay south of the Alps, your major concerns are convective situations within the Ticino area. If you are based in the Valais, you enjoy more sunshine than anyone else in this country.
The only real challenge is crossing the Alps, which has a dispatch rate of about 30% VFR and which requires airplanes with FIKI as well as ceilings higher than FL200 realistically IFR to get a decent rate. Yet, the Alps can be circumnavigated in many instances.
So weather is a question of experience which you will gain rather quickly here, particularly if you listen to people who have been flying here for a certain period of time. You also have access to weather briefings online and by phone if you wish to learn more and there are quite a few good reference materials about weather situations in Switzerland.
As for Customs and Immigration:
Generally, almost all Swiss airfields have the possibility somehow or the other to do international flights. If you base yourself in Switzerland as suggested, you have the choice between several options and airfields which will suit your need. So practically, you need to learn about 1 or 2 airfields and their procedures, the one you are based on and your regular alternate.
If you want to fly unrestricted, that means Schengen and Non-Schengen destinations and without or minimal PPR requirements, choose one of the Class A Airfields: Altenrhein in the East, Bern in the center, Basle in the North or Lugano in the South. Zurich is an option too, but it is expensive and quite restricted, so I would not base there if possible.
If you are based in the West, Lausanne would be my pick or Geneva, if IFR is needed, or if most of your flights are to destinations outside Switzerland, base yourself in Annemasse or similar airfields around the border. Flights to/from Non-Schengen Destinations with PPR are also possible from several other airfields such as Grenchen, Lausanne and several more.
In the South Lugano is the option.
If the majority of your flights are to within the Schengen area, you are basically free to base on most smaller airfields, as you do not have the need for immigration, only customs. And if that is too much, find an airfield in the EU nearby such as Donaueschingen, Hohenems, Annemasse.
As I have no idea where you are currently based at and what your comparison is, it is difficult to give any better advice.
Fact is, that a huge number of smaller airfields have Schengen Area customs which means you can fly anywhere within Schengen without immigration. Customs is done via online forms mostly, as it is done in Germany and elsewhere too.
Other than weather and border crossing formalities, you have a quite large choice of airfields on which to base an airplane on. Depending on your mission profile, it is not a big deal to find a solution. Clearly, most airfields are compromises in some way, but that is definitely not limited to Switzerland. At least here one has a choice.
So my advice would be that if you wish to pursue your working in Switzerland, check out the airfields in your vicinity and decide on the one best suited. Then learn the local procedures and go flying.
Switzerland has no special agreements with one of their neighbor countries and doesn’t need to apply this EU law. Swiss customs only differ between Intra-Schengen and Extra-Schengen flights.
So as of today what is the legal basis that allow one flying intra-Schengen to/from non customs designated in Switzerland without paying VAT & Duty on their aircraft value?
There has to be something in Switzerland customs code today? whatever is there that allow such flights, I hope it gets clarified soon like in Art141, it can stay under the carpet…
