First drone driving license tests administered in Inner Mongolia

Hovering and spinning in the air, a drone is operated by Sun Yuhua, a hobbyist drone pilot taking part in a drone driver license test at a school playground in Hohhot, capital of Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Aug 25.

"Pass," the examiner said, and Sun became the first woman in Inner Mongolia to be licensed as a drone driver. The licenses are issued by the Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association (AOPA). 

This is first time this type of license exam has been held in Inner Mongolia. From Aug 25 to 26, more than 50 people from Inner Mongolia, Shanxi province and Ningxia Hui autonomous region had their operating skills officially tested.

There are nine permanent testing centers in China where hopeful drone drivers can attempt to become fully licensed operators. Until now, only about 10,000 people have obtained drone driver licenses.

"Choosing Inner Mongolia as one of its testing centers shows AOPA's support of drone industry development in the region,” said Piao Guoyi, the examiner in charge of administering the tests.

Unmanned aircrafts include helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and rotor crafts, and are used in sectors such as plant protection, aerial shooting, disaster evaluation and meteorological watch.

China currently has about 200,000 job vacancies for drone drivers.

Drone drivers undergo license tests at the Guofei School playground at the Hongsheng Industrial Park in Inner Mongolia. [Photo/Hohhot Daily]

Examinees prepare for a drone driving test in Hohhot. [Photo/Hohhot Daily]