Drone pilot schools have been emerging in China in order to match the country's status as the biggest drone manufacturer in the world, reported Shanghai Daily.
China manufactures drones for a variety of purposes, like 3D urban mapping and tear-gas spraying to help police. However, the country lacks qualified pilots to fly these drones.
In particular, young men have been attracted to drone schools like TT Aviation Technology Co., one of more than 40 drone schools in China. These people are hoping to land a lucrative job in one of the new exciting fields that are developing in the country.
At TT Aviation, students can take a two-week course for 8,000 yuan ($1,200). Here students learn how to pilot drones using real drones and simulators, learning the regulations along the way.
By the end of the course, students can apply for a license required by China's Civil Aviation Administration that will allow them to operate drones heavier than 7 kilograms that fly higher than 120 meters.
Xu Honggang is a student in a drone school. He believes a license will help him get a piloting job that makes upwards of 5,000 yuan a month, with some experienced pilots making double that salary.
"I want to build my own company with drone services," said Xu. "I like to work for myself. This is a new and popular line of work."
According to Yang Yi, general manager of TT Aviation, which also makes and sells drones to public and private customers, there are more than 10,000 new pilots needed this year across different industries, but only 1,000 pilots have licenses.
"The drone pilot and the car driver are the same: They both need systematic skill training and regulated studying to make sure everyone knows the rules before the real operation," said Yang.
Drones have been seen as capable of revolutionizing a wide range of industries, including agriculture, logistics, law enforcement and film production.
The drone sector has even gotten support from the central government, which is promoting automation and robotics as a way to maintain economic growth amid growing labor costs.