Drones have been driving the development of low-altitude economies in the mainland. China is now the world's largest exporter of civilian drones, with its patent applications in the field accounting for about 70 percent of the global total, as reported by East Week, a sister publication of The Standard.
Simultaneously, drones are included in high-speed racing events such as the one from last December in Huiyang City, Guangdong Province. The race, known as the "Formula 1 of the skies," drew over 350 participants nationwide, offering a total prize pool of one million yuan (HK$1.12 million).
Organizers said the competition serves not only as a race to nurture talent but also as an industry showcase. The youngest competitor was just six years old.
Experts note the difficulty is immense, with minimal margin for error. This also explains why the age threshold for drone racing is surprisingly low, some coaches note that younger pilots can achieve more reflexive responses.
"It's like piloting a fighter jet – feels like flying Formula 1, except you won't die," said pilot Ho Wing-chi, who has represented China in competitions across South Korea and Southeast Asia. "Flying over ten meters per second, any split-second disconnection can easily crash the drone."
The Civil Aviation Administration of China stated that the mainland's drone market reached 1.5 trillion yuan last year and is projected to hit 3.5 trillion yuan within three to five years.
