As China's low-altitude economy takes off, a growing number of young people are quitting their urban jobs to return to their hometowns as drone operators, contributing to the modernization drive in the country's rural areas.
At the forefront of this shift is a group of drone pilots from Zigui County in central China's Hubei Province, who now provide advanced aerial cargo services to mountainous regions nationwide.
At the Zigui Low-Altitude Industry Comprehensive Service Center, a new cohort of trainees is busy maneuvering drones to lift fully loaded fruit baskets, honing their skills for precision operations in rugged terrain.
With the local orange harvest yet to begin, the trainees are discussing how to improve their efficiency for honey pomelo lifting in Pinghe County of east China's Fujian Province, hundreds of kilometers away.
In Pinghe County, the honey pomelo harvest is in full swing. Tan Longfei and his team have been working there for over a month, deploying five drones to lift tens of thousands of kilograms of pomelos every day.
"In the past, we would toil in traditional farming, bent over the earth with our backs to the sky. Now, we face the operating screens while our drones take to the skies," said Tan, who is a member of the Zigui drone pilots.
Local agricultural companies have quickly taken notice of the professional edge Tan's team brings.
"The Zigui drone pilot team demonstrates exceptional efficiency and safety awareness. They are our top choice for the job," said Chen Yiqiang, manager of the Huaxia Feichi Agricultural Service Company in Pinghe County.
Unlike freelance operators, drone pilots from Zigui work in organized, cohesive units, ensuring that standardized, professional service accompanies them wherever they go.
From transporting oranges, honey pomelos, pomegranates and bamboo to hauling solar panels in difficult terrain, their services have now expanded to nearly half of all provincial-level regions nationwide.
In July this year, when Hengzhou City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was hit by severe flooding, Song Younian, a Zigui drone pilot, and his teammates immediately responded to a call for support.
Over four days, they navigated difficult conditions to deliver eight tons of essential supplies to stranded residents.
"In times of natural disasters, these low-altitude lifting skills will prove incredibly useful. Being able to help others makes us feel this profession is truly valuable," Song said.
Zigui County now boasts over 200 low-altitude economy service teams and more than 2,700 certified drone pilots. More and more young people born in the 1990s and 2000s who had previously migrated to cities for work are returning home to join the ranks of these high-tech operators.
"Zigui used to be traditionally a major county for labor export. Now, the 'Zigui drone pilots', who grew up in our orange orchards, are forging a new path of technology-driven labor export, meeting the national demand for the modernization of mountainous agriculture," said Hu Bin, an official with the Zigui County Human Resources and Social Security Bureau.
Drone piloting becomes sought-after profession among China's rural youth
