Retired IAF Officer Turns Abandoned Mine into Thriving Aviation Hub Near Hyderabad
On a breezy Saturday morning, a 90-kilometre drive from Rangareddy to Sangareddy in Telangana leads to Singh Aerofarm, a 23-acre aviation hub in Mallepally village. The property, operational since 2018, is the brainchild of Squadron Leader PR Singh, a retired Indian Air Force officer. What was once an abandoned silica and quartz sand mine now serves as a base for microlight aircraft, gliders, paragliders, drones, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Singh inherited the land from his late father, who migrated from Uttar Pradesh to Hyderabad in the mid-1940s and ran a sand-mining business for four decades. After mining ceased, Singh envisioned repurposing the uneven terrain into an airfield. Overcoming regulatory hurdles and extensive earth-moving work, he transformed the site into a grass airfield, fulfilling his dream of owning an airfield, aeroplanes, and a hangar.
The aerofarm now hosts a variety of aircraft. Singh owns four assembled aeroplanes and expects a fifth—a vintage 1942 Boeing Stearman used by American pilots for training—to arrive soon from the Philippines. Most of his aircraft are powered by Rotax engines and run on mogas (motor petrol). They can fly up to 10,000 feet, but recreational flights usually stay lower. A typical flight in a two-seater microlight, carrying up to 200 kilograms, offers a gentle experience at around 1,000 feet and speeds below 60 kmph.
Beyond personal recreation, Singh Aerofarm has become a testing ground for drone start-ups, particularly from Chennai and Bengaluru. Young engineers travel there to test their designs, as the facility offers a safe, open space for experimentation. Singh rents hangars to hobby fliers, students, and drone companies, supporting India's growing drone ecosystem. He notes that while drones can be manufactured in workshops, finding a suitable testing location is a challenge—a gap his aerofarm fills.
The farm attracts remote-control pilots and hobby fliers on weekends, and a steady stream of students visits to test aircraft and drones. Singh, a commercial pilot, returns to the farm whenever he has a break, calling it a place he finds difficult to stay away from. He believes India's drone start-ups are doing remarkable work and is proud to contribute to their development.
