Trainee drone pilots expect job openings

见习无人机飞行员预计会有职位空缺

LANZHOU — At a training center in Baiyin, a city in Northwest China's Gansu province, Li Yanrong intently watches a computer screen as he guides a virtual drone through takeoff, hovering, cruising and landing, all under the careful supervision of his instructor.

兰州——在中国西北部甘肃省白银市的一个培训中心，李彦荣专注地看着电脑屏幕，引导一架虚拟无人机在教练的仔细监督下完成起飞、悬停、巡航和着陆。

The sophomore at a local vocational mining college has invested 8,000 yuan ($1,140) of his savings into a professional drone pilot's course. He is working to earn a pilot license for medium-sized beyond visual line of sight drones, which will enable him to operate larger drones over longer distances and enhance his chances of securing higher-paying work.

这位当地矿业职业学院的大二学生将8000元人民币（1140美元）的积蓄投入到专业无人机飞行员的课程中。他正在努力获得中型超视距无人机的飞行员执照，这将使他能够在更远的距离上操作更大的无人机，并增加他获得高薪工作的机会。

"Once I master drone operations, I can take on tasks like agricultural spraying or smart patrol inspection," Li said. "It will give me better job prospects."

“一旦我掌握了无人机操作，我就可以承担农业喷洒或智能巡逻检查等任务，”李说。“这会给我更好的工作前景。”

Li is among a growing number of young Chinese people seeking opportunities in the country's rapidly expanding low-altitude economy — a sector that covers drones, electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and related services operating below conventional airspace altitudes.

李是越来越多的中国年轻人之一，他们在中国快速扩张的低空经济中寻求机会，该行业涵盖无人机、电动垂直起降飞机以及在常规空域高度以下运行的相关服务。

His instructor, Wei Cunxin, previously worked for the country's largest drone manufacturer in the southern Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen. In early 2025, Wei returned to his hometown of Baiyin to start his own drone business. "The sky is no longer the private domain of a few. It is becoming a stage that everyone can share," 26-year-old Wei told Xinhua News Agency.

他的导师魏存新曾在中国南方科技中心深圳的中国最大的无人机制造商工作。2025年初，魏某回到家乡白银，开始了自己的无人机生意。“天空不再是少数人的私域，它正在成为每个人都可以分享的舞台，”26岁的魏告诉新华社记者。

Wei's company employs 10 people, all under the age of 30. It provides pilot training certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and offers services such as energy infrastructure inspection, land surveying, agricultural spraying and aerial photography.

魏某的公司雇佣了10个人，年龄都在30岁以下。它提供经中国民用航空局认证的飞行员培训，并提供能源基础设施检查、土地测量、农业喷洒和航空摄影等服务。

Shang Hongbo, a 22-year-old employee from the nearby city of Qingyang, expressed his optimism about the sector's growth prospects. A university graduate majoring in drone application technologies, Shang said that experienced pilots engaged in crop protection can earn more than 8,000 yuan for a full day's work.

来自附近城市庆阳市的22岁员工尚洪波对该行业的增长前景表示乐观。尚是一名无人机应用技术专业的大学毕业生，他说，有经验的飞行员从事农作物保护工作，一天的工作可以赚8000多元。

The local government is taking steps to ensure skills training keeps pace with the industry's growth. In 2025, authorities in Baiyin partnered with training institutions to launch free drone training programs for unemployed people, rural migrants and recent college graduates.

当地政府正在采取措施确保技能培训与行业发展同步。2025年，白银有关部门与培训机构合作，为失业人员、农村流动人口和应届大学毕业生推出免费无人机培训项目。

"We provide a one-stop service that also recommends jobs for trainees," said Gao Minqiang, a district human resources and social security bureau official, noting that the three training sessions held so far have attracted more than 100 participants.

“我们提供一站式服务，还为学员推荐工作，”区人力资源和社会保障局官员高敏强说，目前举办的三期培训班吸引了100多人参加。

Among these trainees is Wu Xuejiao, 34, who said the program has helped her master drone operations and learn about applications in agriculture, logistics and inspections.

这些学员中有34岁的吴雪娇，她说该项目帮助她掌握了无人机操作，并了解了在农业、物流和检测方面的应用。

"It feels like I've gained another skill to make a living," she said.

“感觉我获得了另一项谋生技能，”她说。

Drones are becoming an increasingly common sight across Gansu. In rural areas, they fly low over fields to spray crops. In cities, police use them for traffic monitoring. They are also deployed for patrol inspections, surveys and aerial photography.

无人机正在甘肃各地成为越来越常见的景象。在农村地区，它们在田地上空低空飞行，喷洒农作物。在城市里，警察用它们来监控交通。他们还被部署进行巡逻检查、调查和航空摄影。

China's low-altitude economy has gained significant momentum since it was identified as a new growth driver in the 2024 Government Work Report.

自2024年政府工作报告中被确定为新的增长动能以来，中国低空经济势头明显。

The CAAC has projected that China's low-altitude economy reached a market scale of 1.5 trillion yuan in 2025 and will climb to 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035.

中国民航预计，2025年中国低空经济市场规模将达到1.5万亿元，到2035年将攀升至3.5万亿元。

Since 2024, many regions have rolled out policies to promote the sector, with development focuses ranging from drone manufacturing to applications in logistics, agriculture and passenger transport.

自2024年以来，许多地区都推出了促进该行业的政策，发展重点从无人机制造到物流、农业和客运的应用。

Xinhua

新华社