Sky Farmers: The Rise of China’s Agricultural Drone Pilots

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China’s agricultural drone industry is helping to transform farming but faces numerous growing pains. By Shanghai Observer The drone before us unfolds its wings, revealing a wingspan of over two meters. As it rises into the air, its target is not the sky above but the land below. Wang Jiansen, a 33-year-old agricultural drone pilot from Taizhou in the eastern Jiangsu province, bridges two worlds. With his feet on the ground and his eyes on the sky, he links new technologies with traditional agriculture through the device in his hands: Wang and his fellow pilots make their living by flying agricultural drones, following the seasons to farms across the country. An emerging profession in China, drone piloting was only officially recognized and added to China’s occupational classification code in 2019. Drone pilots like Wang, defined as individuals who operate remotely controlled aircraft to perform predetermined flight tasks, have seen their profession flourish ever since. By the end ………………………………