The DroneOn Show

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-flight failures. He dives into managing large teams, the power of the DJI ecosystem and Starlink for real-time oversight, why he sticks with T50s and is adding T100s, nighttime spraying, and the military-style discipline his team brings to the job. A raw, honest conversation about scaling fast, learning the hard way, treating customers right, and the future of big-acre drone work in the Midwest.

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 expanding into specialty work like power line right-of-way spraying and invasive species control in forests. The conversation covers real talk on drought challenges, nighttime spraying, T60X reliability, the T100’s strengths and limitations, growing pains with hiring, and why diversifying beyond row crops is key. Hayden also explains his customer-obsessed approach to matching the right drone to each operator and why building strong relationships matters more than ever in a competitive space.

In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike and Jay visits McLain Farms in Georgia with Vidalia onion grower Brett McLain. Brett shares what it really takes to grow sweet Vidalia onions — from hand-planting and hand-harvesting to the narrow weather windows and disease pressure that can wipe out an entire crop. He explains why he made the jump to the T100 spray drone after years of watching the technology, how it lets him cover his nearly 500-acre operation in a single day (versus 3 days with the ground rig), and the impressive canopy penetration he’s getting at 4 GPA. The conversation covers real-world drone performance in specialty crops, the learning curve with the heavy-lift T100, organic vs conventional onions, power line and race-car speed analogies, and why speed and efficiency are everything when your harvest window is only 6–7 weeks. A raw, honest look at farming one of America’s most iconic specialty crops with modern spray drone tech.

Episode 42 of the DroneOn Show, Mike talks with Trayton from Taft Drone Services in central Alabama. At just 24 years old and only two years out of Mississippi State (where he studied agriculture science), Trayton shares how he funded his first thermal drone (Mavic 3T) with money originally saved for an engagement ring. He started with deer surveys and recoveries, then transitioned into spray drones, beginning with a T-10 before upgrading to a T-40 and now running T-50s. Trayton covers the realities of operating in Alabama: small fields (15-20 acres average), tall pines, swamps, kudzu control, site prep for forestry replanting, aquatic weed management, and prescribed burning. He discusses charging strategies (per acre vs. per job), word-of-mouth growth, the grind of long days and overnight surveys, and how thermal work helps land spray jobs. A relatable, real look at building a young dual-purpose drone business in the South.

In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike and the crew sit down with Jamin Fleming from Oztech Drones in Australia. Jamin shares his journey in the spray drone space: starting with the classic DJI MG-1 in 2017–2018 (when most drones were still "dodgy"), becoming one of Australia's main XAG dealers, and navigating the unique Australian market—strict regulations, metric-only mindset (liters, not gallons!), vast remote properties, and the need for rugged, reliable gear. They geek out on XAG tech advantages, compare it to DJI in real-world use, and swap stories on everything from late-night China business dinners to cultural differences. The conversation veers into fun tangents like Bass Pro Shops, American vs. Australian perceptions, and why Aussies think the U.S. is wild. A great international perspective on spray drone life, dealer insights, and global ag drone trends.

In episode 40 of the DroneOn Show, Mike sits down with Aaron Clark, an agronomist and ag retail pro with 10+ years selling seed, chemical, and fertilizer in Eastern Ohio. Aaron shares why he jumped into spray drones—to solve chronic timing issues with airplanes and helicopters that left his customers hanging during critical fungicide windows. He details the painful transition from two unreliable Hylio 130s (crashes, software headaches, slow parts) to DJI T-50s, spraying 7,500 acres last season and finally hitting consistent productivity. They dive into real talk on building farmer trust, the grind of relationship-based sales, disease pressure (tar spot, vomit toxin), tight budgets, and why "it depends" is the agronomist’s favorite phrase. Aaron also drops wisdom for new operators: be willing to travel, grind hard, and understand that equipment is only half the battle—reliability and relationships win acres.

In this DroneOn Show episode from the Kansas City, Missouri drone conference, Mike, Jason, and Dennis recap their 12-hour storm-dodging drive and the event’s huge growth—from a small hallway three years ago to a packed expo with new UAVs, trailers, and vendors. They break down the unreleased Helio big-drone prototype (full Hobbywing build, 3D-printed tank), its predecessor’s flop, and an upcoming July model. The group brainstorms drone futures: heavy-lift transport (crawdad hauls from swamps, irrigation pipe in Arizona mines, mountain drops), de-icing solar/wind farms, Starlink-enabled remote docks, and T100 speed advantages (45 mph returns potentially outpacing two T-50s at 70-80 acres/hour). They challenge viewers to comment on what drones will do in 10 years and reflect on how wild today’s predictions may sound soon.

In this episode of the DroneOn Show, host Mike chats with Newt, a Florida cattle farmer with 150 mama cows across three ranches who's also a veteran applicator branching into spray drones after years in the business with ground rigs and spreaders. Newt shares how he jumped into drones to secure his customer base when a client switched to aerial spraying for tall corn that ground rigs couldn't handle without damage, leading him to buy a full rig and spray at least 10,000 acres in his first season—enough to cover costs and stay in the black. They break down the realities of the application game: slim 5-8% profit margins after factoring in trucks, labor, insurance, and hidden costs; the need to travel for more corn work; trailer tweaks like plumbing upgrades and inductions for guys coming from ground rigs; and why drones shine in Florida's wet, humid fields where rigs get stuck or create ruts. Newt dishes on efficiency tips like marking obstacles for better autonomous flights, and a hilarious first-flight crash where his T50 sucked up the controller and exploded props—but survived with just blade swaps to rack up 5,000 acres. If you're eyeing the spray drone life, from startup costs and customer retention to crash lessons and landing pro tips, this raw field talk from a cattleman-turned-drone op delivers.

In Episode 37 of the DroneOn Show, host Mike catches up with Henry, a local Ohio-based thermal drone pilot who's also diving into agricultural spraying, fresh off flying 15,000 acres of fungicide on corn across Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana with Dennis's crew. Henry breaks down the surprisingly easy transition from enterprise drones to spray drones—taking just about 10 hours to get comfortable—highlighting how stable they are despite the extra weight and why manual plus mode is a quick learn for anyone with prior drone experience. They dive into a typical 14-16 hour spray day: starting at sunup for calm winds, pushing through weather challenges (mostly minor this season), and the grind of beating storms while keeping drones clean nightly. Henry shares wild deer recovery stories, like yelling at 2 a.m. after finding "impossible" deer on back-to-back calls (one a liver shot, another a shoulder hit), plus spotting over 800 deer and 25 bears on a massive 5,000-acre thermal survey—leading to DNR involvement for bear studies and potential future wildlife work with bobcats and dens. The convo hits on drone tech's future, from using the Matrice 4TD as repeaters for insane range to DJI docks enabling worldwide remote flights via Starlink, and Henry's $5,000 repair saga turning his crashed 30T into a near-new backup. If you're eyeing a spray drone business, thermal recoveries, or just love real field stories of risk, sacrifice, and success, this episode packs it in.

In this episode of The Drone On Show, Mike sits down with Cameron Hershberger to dive deep into the world of thermal drones for deer recovery and the booming spray drone business in agriculture. Cam shares his incredible journey from a logging background to building a thriving drone service that's recovered over 100 deer in just one season!

We cover everything from starting a side gig that exploded into a full-time passion, the challenges of balancing hunting with drone work, wild stories of close calls in the woods (both logging and deer tracking), and Cam's plans to expand into Belize for untapped farming opportunities. Plus, tips on customer service, regulations, and why passion beats profit-chasing in this industry. Whether you're a hunter, drone enthusiast, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is packed with real-talk insights, and advice on avoiding scams in drone recoveries.