Why it’s lift-off time for China’s drone training schools
New regulations mean a licence is needed to fly unmanned aircraft
A buzz fills the sky above a flight base in northern Beijing, as pilots practise take-offs and landings ahead of tests to qualify for a licence to fly drones.
Drone enthusiasts in China, the world’s top maker of consumer unmanned aerial vehicles, are scrambling for licences after the government adopted strict rules this year to prevent drones straying into aircraft flight paths.
“A drone is not a toy,” said Yang Nuo, the principal of the LTFY drone training school in the Chinese capital, who expects more students to sign up in a drive to boost flying skills. “It involves complicated aerial theoretical knowledge.”
Gao Huiqiang, 32, said his construction company told him to seek a licence before using a drone professionally.
“Since the laws on drones are tightening and a legal framework is being built, they told me to come and get the licence first,” he added.