Global Drone Testing

Facility Requirements
Analysis

BY
I. PRAVEEN KUMAR
URBAN PLANNER
 The Drone Industry: Applications, Worth and Entry into
India
Key Applications in Various Sectors:
Agriculture: Crop monitoring, spraying, precision farming
Construction & Infrastructure: Surveying, mapping, site inspection
Delivery Services: E-commerce and logistics (e.g., drone delivery trials)
Media & Entertainment: Aerial photography, filmmaking
Defense & Security: Surveillance, border patrol

Industry Worth & Growth: Entrance into the Indian Market:

• Global drone market valued at $22 • Recent government initiatives: Drone Rules 2021 for ease of
billion (2023) licensing
• Projected CAGR of 20-25% through • Growing demand in agriculture, defense, and logistics
2030 • Major Indian companies collaborating with global drone
• Increasing adoption in commercial, manufacturers
military, and consumer sectors • Potential for India to become a major drone manufacturing hub in
 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) types

Carrying Capacity - Up to 2Kg Up to 25 kg

Up to 150 kg

Area requirement for the minimum ground testing/training area for drones in
India
Drone Category Minimum Ground Area for Training/Test
A – Aeroplane (fixed-wing) 200 m × 100 m
R – Rotorcraft (multirotor, helicam) 60 m × 60 m
H – Hybrid (combined fixed + rotary) 200 m × 100 m
Source :DGCA’s Drone Training Circular 01 of 2022 (DTC-1)
Testing facility infrastructure:

The facility will have all the necessities as well as all the
equipment, which includes the following:
• Take-off and landing air strip,
• Ground control station, hangar,
• Helipad, training,
• Mechanical and electrical lab,
• on-site support staff,
• outdoor calibration and
• Basic infrastructure charging stations, etc.
A public-private collaboration involving the government,
educational institutions, and public players will be used to
create the facility.
Layout for Testing Area:

Drone Test Area LEGEND

 Runway & VTOL Pads – the
Runway & VTOL Pads Obstacle Course launch and landing zone for UAVs
or drones.
 Obstacle Course – for

Outdoor maneuverability and safety trials.

GCS R&D HANGAR Calibration
 GCS - Ground Control Station.
 R&D - Research & Development.
 Hangar
 Outdoor calibration and
Admin & Safety Buildings
 Admin & Safety Buildings
Drone testing facilities vary significantly across the world, depending on regulatory frameworks,
urban density, and technological advancements

Minimum Area Requirements for Drone Testing

Minimum Testing
City/Country Type of Facility Remarks
Area
Large open spaces for BVLOS
USA (New York, California, 100–500 acres (for BVLOS
FAA-approved test sites (Beyond Visual Line of Sight)
Texas) testing)
operations
Drone test corridors, rural Smaller areas for VLOS (Visual
UK (London, Wales) 50–200 acres
sites Line of Sight) testing
Government-backed drone Massive testing areas for
China (Shenzhen, Beijing) 200–1,000 acres
zones industrial drones
Dedicated drone highways in
UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi) 50–300 acres Urban & desert test sites
Dubai
Limited space but advanced
Singapore 20–100 acres Urban air mobility testbeds
digital air traffic control
Urban drone delivery test
Japan (Tokyo, Chiba) 30–150 acres Strict height restrictions
zones
Germany (Cologne, Bavaria) 100–400 acres Industrial drone testing EASA-compliant facilities
Australia (Sydney, Large no-population zones for
200–1,000 acres Remote BVLOS testing
Queensland) long-range drones
South Korea (Seoul, Busan) 50–300 acres Smart city drone integration High-tech urban drone testing
Source : Various Countries Government regulatory
Regulatory Approvals & No-Fly
Zones
Country Regulatory Body Key Restrictions Approval
FAA (Part 107, BVLOS
USA Strict near airports, military zones Waivers Required
waivers)
No-fly near cities without
UK CAA (UAS Operator ID) Test Corridors Available
permission
China CAAC Government-controlled test zones State-approved Only

UAE GCAA Special Economic Zones for drones Fast-track Approvals

Singapore CAAS Geofencing in urban areas Requires Digital Permits

Height limit (400ft), no urban flights

Green zone – 400 ft,
India DGCA Case-by-case Approval
Yellow Zone – 12 kms from Airport
perimeter.
Japan MLIT No flights over crowds Delivery Tests Allowed
Germany EASA Environmental restrictions Industrial Use Encourage
Australia CASA Remote BVLOS allowed Large Unpopulated Areas
South Korea MFDS Smart city drone integration Tech-friendly Policies

Source : Various Countries Government regulatory

Take-off & Landing Strip Specifications

Country Regulatory Authority Take-off & Landing Strip Specifications

Minimum 100 m × 30 m for fixed-wing drones;

USA FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)
helipad-style landing for VTOL drones

EASA (European Union Aviation Safety 50 m × 20 m for urban drone operations;

EU
Agency) emergency landing zones required

CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of

China 200 m runway for large commercial drones
China)
Use of automated drone ports (e.g., Dubai’s Drone
UAE GCAA (General Civil Aviation Authority)
Skyway)
DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Minimum 60 m × 40 m strip for drone take-off &
India
Aviation) landing

Source : Various Countries

Government regulatory
Andhra Pradesh aims to be drone capital of
India an a
g
Basic Information lan
Te gal
 Population (2011 Census) – 4.96 Crore en
B
 Coastal Line – 974 kms of
y
Ba
 GDP (2023- 24)- Rs. 14,49,501 crore

Andhra Pradesh Drone Corporation (APDC), the State aims to foster, and drone applications
across various sectors.
APDC

Innovation Attract Investments Integrate

 Zone Restrictions Air Space Map

 Considering its geographical proximity, Nandyal and its surrounding areas appear to be a suitable
location. It is also strategically located near the proposed Drone City in Orvakal, Kurnool district, and falls
within a designated green zone.
Source :

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), UK drone regulations and test sites.

https://www.caa.co.uk/consumers/unmanned-aircraft-and-drones/

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), Singapore’s urban air mobility testbed.
https://www.caas.gov.sg

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India, Drone policy 2.0. https://www.dgca.gov.in

European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), EU drone regulations.

https://www.easa.europa.eu/domains/civil-drones

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), UAS test sites & Part 107 rules. https://www.faa.gov/uas

General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA),(2023). Dubai drone skyway project.

https://www.gcaa.gov.ae.