Flying a Helicopter in Germany

Updated April 2026

For Swiss pilots, Germany is one of the easiest countries to start flying internationally by helicopter. The airspace is generally clear and GA-friendly, fuel is available at a lot of stops, fees are usually reasonable, and many destinations are far less admin-heavy than a first trip into France or Italy.

The biggest advantage is simplicity. For many Switzerland-to-Germany trips, the German side is straightforward as long as you choose a normal airfield rather than a Besonderer Landeplatz, and you confirm the field details in the current AIP/VAC. That makes Germany a very practical first cross-border lunch stop or weekend hop.

1. Customs and Flight Plan Basics

You still need to get the Swiss side right. If you are departing Switzerland, sort customs there first, then file a normal VFR flight plan and go. If you want the broader context first, it helps to read Flying a Helicopter in Switzerland alongside our Schengen Area VFR Flight Rules guide.

The flight plan must be opened on departure and closed on arrival. If the airfield has an active ATSU, that is normally automatic. If not, the pilot needs to do it actively. One operational difference worth remembering: German services generally expect flight plans to be closed in the circuit or after landing, while Swiss FIS is often happy to close them earlier.

This relative simplicity does not apply everywhere in Europe. France and Italy, for example, often restrict Swiss entries and exits to customs aerodromes and may require prior notice or extra paperwork. That is exactly why Germany is such a good first international option, and why our Mandatory Handling in Europe article is useful background.

2. FIS Is Helpful, Not Mandatory

Talking to FIS in Germany is almost never mandatory. Treat it as a service you can use if you want traffic information, assistance or an extra safety net, but not as another administrative burden. German FIS also has visibility of VFR flight plans, so if you do call them there is usually no need to re-brief your entire route from scratch.

Swiss pilots are often used to a more involved service style. In Germany, FIS will generally not hand you over automatically to ATC for a controlled airspace crossing, so ask proactively five to ten minutes before you need it. You should also expect fewer detailed routing questions than you may be used to from Swiss Info.

3. Small Airfields, Opening Hours and Radio

At the smaller airfields, the biggest practical check is simply whether the airfield is open when you want to arrive and depart. Many southern German fields are still subject to Flugleiterpflicht, which can mean limited opening hours or even published as PPR only in the AIP VFR.

Radiotelephony can also catch Swiss pilots out. German RT is much less familiar in Switzerland than French RT in the Romandie, and many smaller German airfields use German only. Learn the essentials before you go: Gegenanflug, Queranflug, Endanflug, and runway calls such as Piste eins zwo. On the visual approach chart, a Ge note usually means German RT only, while Ge/En means English may be used legally.

For current airfield information and VACs, use VFR AIP Germany. For the official German AIP VFR, use DFS AIP Online.

4. Why Germany Works So Well for Day Trips

Once you start using it, Germany is easy to like by helicopter. Controlled airports are usually straightforward, fuel is available at a lot of stops, landing fees are often modest, and many airfields have a decent restaurant that makes the destination worthwhile on its own. Some also have rental cars or bikes, and if nothing formal is available, local staff are often surprisingly helpful.

That combination of simple cross-border procedures, friendly GA infrastructure and plenty of worthwhile destinations makes Germany one of the best countries in Europe for a first international helicopter trip from Switzerland.

5. Useful First-Stop Ideas

These are not blanket recommendations, but they are the sort of places pilots often mention as good German starter destinations to research further:

A Helipaddy map view of the starter airfields below:

• Schwenningen
• Speyer
• Neuhausen ob Eck
• Kempten-Durach
• Blaubeuren
• Biberach
• Konstanz
• Leutkirch
• Tannheim
• Kehl-Sundheim