The DroneOn Show

In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike, Jay and Kevin recap their trip through the Las Vegas drone expo and what they actually saw in the NDAA-compliant booths. The sales pitch was almost never “this drone is good.” It was “this drone is on the list.” A lot of what they walked past still looked unfinished, 3D-printed, unpriced, or years away from being something a spray, thermal, or mapping operator can buy and ...

In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike, Jay and Kevin recaps nuWay Ag’s first on-site FAA Part 137 inspection. What was expected to feel like an OSHA-style fine hunt turned out to be professional, reasonable, and educational. The inspectors—manned aircraft pilots—spent hours on site, asked real questions, and focused on safety and recordkeeping rather than looking for problems. The conversation covers how they were se...

In this DroneOn Show owners catch-up, Mike and Kevin sit down after a busy spray season to talk shop. They recap how the service team handled repairs, improved parts availability compared to last year, and the need for more temporary help next season as thermal work ramps up. The conversation turns to the biggest issue in the industry right now—the proposed FCC rules and potential restrictions on foreign-made drones—and...

In this special DroneOn Show episode, Mike sits down with his 5-year-old daughter Viviana for her very first podcast appearance. Fresh off a workout and still in her cowgirl boots, Viviana chats about her pony Misty, what she knows about spray drones and thermal deer recovery, going on jobs with her dad, and why she loves finding deer. She shares her favorite parts of family life, her thoughts on school (she’s homeschooled), ...

In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike sits down with two fellow spray drone applicators: Zane Carter of Neutral Drones in Iowa and Bernhard Martens from Chihuahua, Mexico. Zane shares how a layoff from Wells Fargo led him into the industry, flying T40s in his first year and covering thousands of acres before building his own operation. Bernhard recounts starting in 2021 with a single T20 funded by his farm boss, working the farm by da...

In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike talks with Mehdi from Talos Drones about his path into the industry. Mehdi shares his background as a mechanical engineer with a master’s in composite materials for aerospace from West Virginia University, followed by work at a California chemical company developing pheromone applicators for orchards. There he built custom drone systems for high-viscosity products, modified early DJI MG-1 pl...

In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike sits down with Jnani from Vortex Advantage Ag in Texas for a one-year update on his operation. Jnani shares how nearly all of his work remains focused on pasture and rangeland spraying rather than row crops, explaining the pricing realities versus airplanes and why his chopped-up Texas terrain with obstacles fits his approach. He walks through his full background—from Army airborne Gulf War ...

In this DroneOn Show owners episode, Mike, Jason, and Kevin dive deep into the real-world challenges and strategies of scaling nuWay Ag and Drone Deer Recovery. They explore building a strong dealer program through local support and distribution rather than just SEO, leveraging their Drone Deer Recovery audience to grow nuWay traffic, and the importance of the New AG Track app. The conversation covers international content reach le...

In episode 54 of the DroneOn Show, Mike, Jason, Dennis, and 21-year-old Kaden Lamprecht from western Iowa sit down for a raw conversation blending spray drone business with faith. Kaden shares how his family started their operation three years ago (running T50s and P150 Pros, covering 20,000+ acres mostly fungicide on corn and beans) while navigating farming challenges and trusting God’s direction. The discussion turns spirit...

In this insightful DroneOn Show, Mike, Jason, and Kevin sit down for an open conversation about running nuWay Ag and Drone Deer Recovery. They break down their T100 swath testing results, the importance of strong CV coverage for uniform applications, why the drone industry needs to raise standards beyond traditional aerial 20-30% benchmarks, and practical settings for the best results. The trio also covers the New AG Track app, AI ...

Episode 52 of the DroneOn Show episode, Mike talks with Cody Davis and Clinton Giglio of Guardian Aerial in Louisiana — two former U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter pilots with a combined 39 years of military flight experience. They share their transition from flying heavy-lift military and medevac missions to operating spray drones (primarily T50s with T100 interest), covering the unique challenges of sugarcane applications, p...

In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike and Jay talks with Bryce Matthews of StratoWorx Drone Solutions in Indiana. At 31 years old and brand new to spray drones, Bryce is right on the edge of pulling the trigger on a T100 and starting his own operation. He shares his extensive research process, why he’s leaning toward DJI, his conversations with current pilots at the conference, and how he plans to build the business alongside a ...

In episode 50 of the DroneOn Show, Mike and Jay catches up with Preston Cave of Pac Aerial Applications in North Carolina. Preston shares his journey from growing up on a tobacco farm and showing cattle to building a successful spray drone business. He talks about tackling rugged mountain terrain, Christmas tree applications, cover crops, pastures, and using a mini truck to access tough spots. The conversation covers upgrading from...

In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike and Kevin sits down with Jeremy Shelton, an Illinois drone deer recovery pilot, and his attorney Ed Fanning to break down a landmark court case. Jeremy received a citation for using a thermal drone to search for a wounded deer. The case went to trial and he was found not guilty — not on a technicality, but because the judge ruled that simply searching for a lost deer with a drone does not vi...

In episode 48 of the DroneOn Show episode, Mike sits down with 25-year-old Caden Wilburn of C&J Spray Drones in Laddonia, Missouri. Caden shares how he launched his drone spraying operation to carve out his own space on the family farm (1200 crop acres + 2400 hogs) and has now covered roughly 15,000 acres in just three seasons. He talks about starting with T40s, upgrading to two T50s, and seriously considering the T100, while r...

In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike talks with Johnney Staples of Nexus Solutions USA in South Carolina. Johnney shares his journey from tobacco farming and hand-weeding as a kid to earning a PhD in weed science at Auburn, then building a successful vegetation management and custom application business. He explains why he started Nexus to serve industrial turf, utilities, right-of-way, and rangeland clients that traditional ag reps ...

In this DroneOn Show episode from the Spray Drone End User Conference, Mike sits down with Dave and Jared from Bear UAV / Branch Enterprise in Eastern Oregon. They share how they started in custom application back in 1999 after a tough year in potatoes and onions, evolving from four-wheelers and pickups with hand wands to drones in 2017. The conversation covers the realities of rangeland and noxious weed spraying, post-fire habitat...

In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike talks with Josh from Kansas, a former Army veteran who built Midwest Drone Applications into a serious operation covering 66,000 acres in one season with a team of contractors. Josh shares how he got started through drone deer recovery, his wild first T40 season (self-taught in thigh-high grass), the rapid growth from one drone to a fleet, and the infamous J100 rollout that led to multiple in-flig...

In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike sits down with 20-year-old Hayden Crum from Midwest Air in southern Ohio. Hayden shares how he started his spray drone business as a freshman in high school through an FFA project, grew it alongside his family’s retail chemical and seed business, and is now in his sixth season of applications. At just 20, he’s already running multiple crews, selling DJI, XAG, and Talos drones, and expa...