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International Reporter in China exposes illegal aircraft manufacturing industry

HeavyArmor

Trust me, I'm a Tech-Priest
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An investigative journalist from CCTV-2 (China Central Television's channel for economic and business programs) posing as a potential buyer, was able to get footage from an "illegal aircraft manufacturing workshop" in Shandong province and Sichuan province.

The "workshop" in Shandong is actually a noodle making factory, but also makes custom ordered aircraft in their free time. The reporter noted that many aircraft components in the factory is badly kept, and shows signs of rusting. The "workshop" even converts a patch of farmland nearby into a 800-meter runway for "flight-testing".

The "workshop" in Sichuan is mass-producing their self-designed aircraft, with 20 aircrafts off the assembly line, and 18 already sold. The person in charge claimed their aircraft can reach speeds of 100+km/h, and heights of 3000+meters.

The reporter noted that none of the aircrafts were certified for airworthiness, none of the sellers nor buyers have any sort of formal training or certification to handle aircrafts.


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Two questions.
How much and can I buys one.

But seriously. 100km/h plus and 3000m altitude sounds like something Mister Blériot would try to fly over the Channel in.
He at the time didn't had a pilots license*
His plane didn't had a airworthiness certificate either.

All this story tells me Shandong has a vibrant amateur aviation enthusiast scene. And that is nice for them.

*Mister Blériot was issued with Pilot license no 1.A fun aviation trivia I don't know why I remember.
And it happened before he made his historic flight.
 
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