Please don’t take it personally, but I don’t get you @Ibra. You’re write-up about “import” and “export” doesn’t present the Swiss situation at all and doesn’t make much sense IMHO. “Home-based pilots only” means pilots how are based on a certain aerodrome. For example LSZE (Bad Ragaz) offers customs only to pilots who are based there. Other pilots can’t use that aerodrome for international (Intra-Schengen) flights. It’s not a rule made by customs, but the management of the aerodrome just bans other non-based pilots, in order to have less bureaucratic work.
Those customs forms are not sent directly to customs in Switzerland, but first to the aerodrome office. They need to confirm it and forward it to customs. That’s why you need to phone the aerodrome almost always after submitting the form.
It’s not a rule made by customs, but the management of the aerodrome just bans other non-based pilots, in order to have less bureaucratic work
That is what I meant as well, so we agree 100% it’s not customs rules it’s AD management who decide it to be that way (same for Toussus, Lognes, Reims…you can’t if you ask “le gestionnaire” but you can if you directly ask customs, assuming you have their contact somehow)
However, I still can’t see how a “resident based pilot” there can fly “foreign aircraft” (not CH-good) even if AD management thinks it’s OK? customs will not be pleased without paperwork and notice, they may require using another airport or close their eyes but that’s different…
If someone sends forms directly to customs, what is the issue with flying to LSZE?
Does CH have any “exit Customs” airports (meaning Customs and Immigration available when exiting CH) nowadays? It used to e.g. LSPV.
Frans wrote:
I actually don’t understand this hate towards your own country
No hate Frans, just removing my rose-colored glasses for a minute or so…
I find staying in Graubunden and Ticino helps maximize scenery and road quality while minimizing contact with annoyance. I again enjoyed my short visit there last month.
I also buy the annual-only Swiss highway sticker in Germany days before, so I’ve forgotten about that expense by the time I arrive for a two day visit. That issue, while only a CHF 40 tax, is emblematic of the welcoming, open and collegial Swiss approach to life. 
The small airfields with on-demand customs that we are talking about here are almost all „Schengen-only“. The exception being Saanen, but they sting non-Schengen flights with an extortionate extra fee (essentially, they are aiming at millionaires flying in from London with a PC-12, who won‘t care).
Wangen-Lachen is also Schengen-only. No idea how it was 15-20 years ago, but possibly the same and you got away somehow, benefitting from the ubiquitous confusion about customs and immigration and the status of the UK.
For customs (again, Schengen-only) they make you feel very welcome… and no, they did not translate their website into English…
15-20 years ago CH was not in schengen, and “customs” meant both services, by implication.
Anyway, this has changed for LSPV.
benefitting from the ubiquitous confusion about customs and immigration and the status of the UK.
That happens, one EuroGA member probably flew Biggin-Annemasse zillions of times between 2017-2022, he was only told to stop doing it 6 months ago as he needs POE after 2022 (strictly speaking since 2017)
The small airfields with on-demand customs that we are talking about here are almost all „Schengen-only“
Yes Schengen only but can one 1/ do “on-demand customs” without going via airfield operator, by sending directly to customs? and 2/ “on-demand customs” would apply to all private traffic that is exempt, namely temporary visits & temporary exits of based goods (not to permanent imports, permanent exports or commercial flights), why being “based pilot” would make any difference?
Annemasse was flyable directly from the UK for many years, until they pulled Immigration a few years ago.
6 years ago. Link
