ATC
Swiss drones to monitor football fans from above
For the upcoming European football championship, jointly hosted by Switzerland and Austria, the Zurich police department has decided to supplement its crow

For the upcoming European football championship, jointly hosted by Switzerland and Austria, the Zurich police department has decided to supplement its crowd control systems using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) supplied and operated by the Swiss air force as observation platforms. Light drones are cheaper to fly than manned aircraft and will free helicopters for other tasks such as carrying personnel. Police forces in Bern and Basel, two other Swiss cities where games are scheduled, are also considering the use of UAVs, while Geneva has ruled them out for the time being.

The drones flown in Zurich will be operated from a control center at Emmen air base, about 25 miles south of the city. A “pilot” and an observation systems operator–both JAR-licensed pilots familiar with air traffic rules–control each drone.