The hum of propellers is becoming the soundtrack to progress in Pengzhou, Sichuan. Here, amidst the dramatic topography transitioning from plains to mountains, a quiet revolution is taking flight. Pengzhou isn’t just adopting Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technology; it’s actively shaping its future, building an ecosystem where these remarkable machines fly, are built, and find increasingly vital applications, fueling a burgeoning low-altitude economy.
The journey begins with the fundamental need: enabling Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to reliably take to the skies. Nestled within Pengzhou’s diverse landscape is the “Sky Eye,” a national civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle test base in Guihua Town. This facility, leveraging Pengzhou’s unique “six mountains, one water, three flatlands” terrain and exceptionally clean airspace, offers an unparalleled proving ground. Its significance lies not just in its 19 testing scenarios – the most extensive among China’s 20 national bases – but in a transformative regulatory leap. Pengzhou pioneered a shift from a cumbersome approval system to a streamlined filing regime for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle flights within designated zones like the “Chuanxie No.6” airspace. What once took seven working days for clearance now requires only a 30-minute advance notice. This dramatic efficiency boost, allowing over 200 daily flight operations – a fivefold increase in airspace utilization – has been a game-changer.
Zhou Xiaoming, founder of the “Sky Eye” base, embodies this transformation. His initial struggles to find adequate testing space were resolved when Pengzhou secured dedicated Unmanned Aerial Vehicle airspace. “This low-altitude airspace allows us to fly fast and fly steady,” Zhou reflects, attributing success to the city’s supportive environment for innovators. The base doesn’t merely facilitate flight; it ensures safety. A sophisticated low-altitude management platform, developed collaboratively with resident enterprises, integrates detection, identification, and countermeasures, achieving over 95% target recognition accuracy. Within the “Chuanxie No.6” zone, a 5km radius, 1200m altitude testing paradise, companies rigorously test Unmanned Aerial Vehicles from kilogram-scale models to ton-class giants, simulating everything from high-altitude plateaus and deep gorges to dense urban environments.
This fertile environment for testing naturally attracts those who build the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The “Sky Eye” base has become a powerful magnet, drawing 145 enterprises and research institutions. Shenzhen Naijie Optoelectronics serves as a prime example. Lured by the rich terrain, accessible airspace, and high flight frequency, the company moved swiftly, setting up operations within a week. Starting literally in tents, Naijie’s team persevered through challenging conditions, driven by innovation. Their breakthrough came in the form of sophisticated multi-spectral electro-optical tracking products. These systems, integrating cutting-edge multi-spectral imaging and intelligent recognition technologies, exemplify the high-caliber innovation emerging from Pengzhou’s collaborative ecosystem. The presence of such companies signals Pengzhou’s evolution from merely hosting manufacturing to becoming a genuine innovation hub for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technology.
The true measure of success, however, lies in how these Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are used. Pengzhou is pioneering the “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle +” model, aggressively exploring and implementing practical applications that solve real-world problems. A landmark achievement is the nation’s first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle deployment for mountainous postal logistics. Where traditional delivery struggles with rugged terrain and sparse populations, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles now efficiently bridge the gap, ensuring vital connectivity. This is far from an isolated case. In agriculture, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are revolutionizing practices. From precise pesticide application and fertilizer spreading to advanced crop health monitoring, these aerial platforms enhance yields, optimize resource use, and reduce environmental impact. Forestry protection benefits immensely from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle patrols, enabling rapid detection of fires or pests over vast, inaccessible areas. Emergency response teams leverage Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for critical tasks like search and rescue operations and rapid aerial surveying after disasters, providing invaluable real-time data where every second counts. Even complex industrial inspections, particularly of energy infrastructure like pipelines and power lines in difficult locations, are becoming safer, faster, and more cost-effective thanks to specialized Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
Adding another layer of sophistication to the ecosystem is the concept of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle “4S Shop” – currently in pilot operation as another national first. Mirroring the automotive service model, this facility offers comprehensive sales, service, spare parts supply, and crucially, specialized training for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle operators. This holistic approach lowers the barrier to entry and ensures professional operation, fostering wider and safer adoption across various sectors. Furthermore, the establishment of a dedicated Unmanned Aerial Vehicle airworthiness public service platform within Pengzhou streamlines the certification process, a critical step for integrating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles safely and reliably into the national airspace system for broader commercial operations.
The economic impact of this focus on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technology is tangible and accelerating. Pengzhou’s low-altitude economy, heavily driven by the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle sector, has seen its output surge dramatically, climbing from 161 million yuan in 2023 to 275 million yuan in 2024. This growth trajectory underscores the sector’s vitality. Beyond the raw numbers, a vibrant talent ecosystem is flourishing. Pengzhou is attracting a new generation of engineers, entrepreneurs, pilots, and data analysts – young minds drawn by the opportunity to be at the forefront of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle innovation and application. They see Pengzhou not just as a location, but as a launchpad for their ambitions in the rapidly evolving world of advanced aerial mobility.
Pengzhou’s story is one of foresight, collaboration, and relentless practical application. By systematically addressing the triad of flight enablement, technological innovation, and diverse application development, the city has positioned itself as a national leader in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle integration and low-altitude economic development. The transformation of its skies from empty expanse to a busy, regulated, and productive highway for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles symbolizes a broader transformation on the ground. From the test pilots at “Sky Eye” to the engineers refining next-generation sensors, from the postal workers coordinating mountain deliveries to the farmers monitoring crops from above, Pengzhou demonstrates the profound societal and economic benefits unlocked when Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technology is embraced holistically. The constant buzz of propellers is the sound of a region confidently ascending into a future shaped by intelligent flight.