On a breezy Saturday morning, I drove 90 kilometers from Rangareddy to Sangareddy in Telangana to visit Singh Aerofarm, which has been around since 2018 at Mallepally village. Here, I met Squadron Leader PR Singh, a retired Indian Air Force officer and also the owner of the space, ready with two helmets and headsets.
“Hop on,” he said. “Let’s go on a tour.”
Assuming the tour would involve walking, I had worn my most comfortable workout shoes. Little did I know that I was about to take a tour of the skies.
Squadron Leader PR Singh | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Waiting for us was a microlight aircraft that, simply put, resembled an air glider with two seats. While Singh was visibly excited, my mind was crowded with questions. What happens during turbulence? What if we encounter a cloud? Still, matching his enthusiasm, I said, “Let’s fly first and talk after.”
After a brief taxi, the aircraft lifted off — almost like watching a drone take flight. The two-seater microlight can carry up to 200 kilograms in passenger weight.
A microflight ready for take-off | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Once airborne, the experience answered many of my questions. Flying at around 1,000 feet and at speeds below 60 kmph, the microlight felt surprisingly gentle. The sight of birds overtaking us made me chuckle. Below were vast green fields and the waters of Pedda Cheruvu. Despite the strong winds, the aircraft cut through the air smoothly, making it an exhilarating 15-minute ride.
After we landed, Singh told me the story of the 23-acre space. The land, once a silica and quartz sand mine, belonged to his late father, AN Singh.
“My father migrated from Uttar Pradesh to Hyderabad in the mid-1940s and started a silica and quartz sand-mining business,” says Singh. “Mining continued for four decades and stopped after his death. I wanted to repurpose the abandoned land for recreation.”
After years of regulatory hurdles and extensive earth-moving work, Singh transformed the mining-ravaged, uneven terrain into a grass airfield. “It was always my dream to own an airfield, aeroplanes and a hangar,” he says.
View of the space when airborne | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Following the Government of India’s approval of its drone policy, the space has grown into an aviation hub. What began as a space for Singh’s hobby now hosts microlight aircraft, gliders, paramotors, paragliders, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Singh also rents hangars to hobby fliers, students and drone companies, as some aircraft and drones are assembled on-site and are too large to transport easily.
Singh owns four assembled aeroplanes, while a fifth — a vintage 1942 Boeing Stearman — is expected to arrive soon.
“I bought the Boeing Stearman from the Philippines. It was used by the Americans to train pilots,” he says. “Once it arrives, it will be assembled and tested. It will take time before it is ready to fly. We follow the same routine for every aircraft: maintenance and routine inspections, followed by checks of the oil, coolant and engine before each flight.”
Special photoshoot at the venue | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Explaining how his aircraft operate, Singh says, “Most of my aeroplanes use Rotax engines and run on mogas, or motor petrol. They are primarily powered by Rotax 582 and 912 engines. The aircraft can fly up to 10,000 feet, where oxygen is still available, but we don’t waste time and fuel climbing that high because these flights are recreational.”
Is there ever a dull day at the farm?
“With a steady stream of students coming in to test aircraft and drones, it is difficult to stay away,” says Singh. “As a commercial pilot, whenever I have a break, I return to the farm.”
He believes India’s growing number of drone start-ups are doing remarkable work. Young engineers, particularly from Chennai and Bengaluru, travel to Singh Aerofarm to conduct research and test their designs.
“A drone company can manufacture a drone in a workshop, but where does it test it? That is what brings them here,” he says.
The space has emerged as a testing ground for drone start-ups not only from Telangana but also from Chennai and other parts of India. On weekends, it attracts remote-control pilots and hobby fliers who come to fly their machines recreationally.
“Young children and students learn to assemble and fly aircraft under the guidance of seniors and experts,” says Singh. “We also receive a steady stream of students from IITs, engineering colleges and schools.”
More recently, Singh Aerofarm has also become a popular location for pre-wedding and engagement shoots.
Published - July 17, 2026 07:09 am IST