How This 25 Year Old Built a 15K Acre Spray Drone Business in 3 Seasons | The DroneOn Show Ep 48

From Cattle Farmer to Running a Spray Drone Business in the Mountains | The DroneOn Show Ep 50

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 T40s to T50s, considering the T100, battling the 300ft ceiling, long days on the job, and practical advice for new operators looking to scale in challenging environments.

Is Drone Deer Recovery Legal in Illinois? Full Court Case Breakdown | The DroneOn Show Ep 49

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 violate Illinois statute. The conversation dives deep into the actual law versus the conservation department’s interpretation, what “hunting,” “pursue,” and “take” really mean, why conservation has stated they will ignore the ruling and continue seizing drones, and practical advice for pilots who want to offer this service legally. A must-listen for anyone running or considering thermal drone deer recovery in Illinois. Edward J. Fanning Fanning Law Office - Hardin, IL (618) 576-2284 [tel:6185762284] Jeremy Shelton - https://www.dronedeerrecovery.com/pages/pilots/midwest-thermal-drones [https://www.dronedeerrecovery.com/pages/pilots/midwest-thermal-drones]

How This 25 Year Old Built a 15K Acre Spray Drone Business in 3 Seasons | The DroneOn Show Ep 48

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 running long, efficient passes on flat, square Missouri fields. The conversation covers fungicide as his main work, expanding into aquatic weed control on ponds and lakes, trailer setups, generator choices, family business decisions, and realistic advice for new operators on regulations, patience, and staying competitive in a fast-moving industry.

25 Years in Weed Science: SC Veteran Applicator on Drones & Vegetation | The DroneOn Show Ep 47

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 often overlook. The conversation covers his early drone experiments (including wild stories with the first DJI models), why XAG became his go-to platform, post-fire and habitat work, herbicide mode of action, calibration lessons, and the realities of government contracts and regulations. Honest, experienced wisdom from a true veteran applicator on building a drone + spray service that lasts.

From Four Wheelers to Drones: 25+ Years Spraying Rangeland in Oregon | The DroneOn Show Ep 46

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 restoration, government contracts, and why they prefer XAG (Zagg) platforms for their spraying quality despite occasional software/connectivity quirks. They discuss the massive difference between Eastern and Western Oregon, the challenges of heavy-lift regulations, supporting older drones, and why relationships and doing the job right matter more than hype in the drone industry. Honest talk from experienced custom applicators on regulations, farmer perceptions, and the future of drones in tough Western terrain.