Three drones of different types conducted their final test on November 21, 2012 in Hoh Xil, a high-altitude and frigid area in west China’s Qinghai province, which marked the full completion of the one-month-long flight tests for the “Applicability study on drone patrollingand-inspection in high-altitude area” at altitudes between 2,800 metres and 4,767 metres above sea level.

The drone patrolling-and-inspection flight in high-altitude area is a worldwide problem. The researchers have successively carried out the applicability study on high-altitude patrolling-and-inspection by unmanned helicopters and unmanned fixedwing airplanes as well as the impact study on drone patrolling-and-inspection under highaltitude weather conditions such as low temperature and sandy wind since March 8, 2012.

The researchers conducted tests for a total of 10 types of unmanned plane platforms with different power, different aerodynamic structure and different taking-off and landing mode in such places in Qinghai province as Wushaoling, Jinyintan, Qinghai Lake, Riyue Mountain, Laji Mountain, Xidatan and Hoh Xil respectively since the end of October in 2012.