The DroneOn Show

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.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Drone on Air
(00:02:36) - Teens fly drones with agriculture science degree
(00:04:03) - What kind of drone did you start with?
(00:05:02) - Flying a drone at altitude with a tank
(00:05:35) - How do you get work with a T10?
(00:06:25) - Do you charge by the acre for your spraying?
(00:09:29) - Burning trees: How to do it safely
(00:12:28) - How to weed aquatic plants in Alabama
(00:15:03) - How to Hydrophobic Spray Alabama
(00:18:10) - Talking to clients about his office
(00:18:45) - Spray Drones Business
(00:20:43) - How to See a Deer
(00:24:24) - Are You Ready for Your Wedding Dress?
(00:24:36) - How to Pay Off Your Drone Equipment
(00:26:32) - Flying a drone with a 30W light
(00:27:03) - DJI Thermal Drone: 30T vs. 4TD
(00:29:48) - Deer Found Alive in a High Fence
(00:32:31) - Spraying and Burning Land
(00:35:24) - How to Start a Fire in the Grass
(00:37:15) - Deer Found Using a Drone
(00:40:10) - Reveal: Drone Hunting
(00:43:15) - Mississippi wildlife biologists talk
(00:43:46) - Crop Drone Business
(00:47:00) - Crash Your Drone:
(00:47:28) - Drone Hits a Power Line, Explodes
(00:49:28) - Power Line Hitting Drone
(00:51:06) - DJI Mavic 3T: A Baby Drone
(00:54:47) - Flying a drone through the swamp

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.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Interviewing Drone On-Show Participants
(00:01:40) - How to Buy a Drone in Australia
(00:05:08) - Dji vs XAG Drone in Australia
(00:08:03) - Flying a drone in Australia
(00:10:27) - XAG drones
(00:11:37) - Australian Drone Distributors vs US
(00:15:10) - DJI P150 Max autonomous drone
(00:19:04) - How do you guys make your boundaries on the XCGs?
(00:20:25) - Are You Selling Drones to Farmers?
(00:21:26) - Deer Recovery in Australia
(00:24:24) - In the Elevator With Landman
(00:24:45) - What type of drone do you need to fly in Australia?
(00:28:20) - Australia's drone regulations
(00:30:58) - Drones on a Hybrid Power Bank
(00:34:14) - How to Charge a Tesla Truck by Solar Power
(00:37:49) - A diesel generator in a power plant
(00:38:47) - DJI P100 Drone Crash
(00:42:36) - Drones for Heavy Lift in Australia
(00:44:58) - China's drone operators go crazy
(00:46:12) - XAVOR Drone
(00:47:22) - Trump on American Drone Manufacturing
(00:50:51) - Trump on the FAA's Critical Components List
(00:52:30) - American Drone Sales in Australia
(00:54:19) - How to fly from Brisbane to Kansas by plane
(00:55:27) - DJI Spray Drone Dealers
(00:59:32) - Flying at high speed in Australia
(01:02:53) - What is it like to live in Australia?
(01:04:41) - TALKING TO YOU

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.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - How To Survive A Long Weekend Hunting
(00:01:40) - Deer Chasing
(00:05:57) - Farmers Get a Drone
(00:09:04) - Helios 1, First year
(00:13:46) - Fly drones on a full-time basis
(00:18:07) - Drones for Farming: Growing Demand
(00:18:58) - Fungicide Coverage on Corn
(00:23:23) - Fungicide Resistance or Mother Nature Will Win?
(00:29:12) - Budgets are ugly right now
(00:33:24) - Drones and the farm budget
(00:38:06) - President Trump on America's Drone Industry
(00:41:00) - Are You Ready to Upgrade to a T50?
(00:44:53) - Do drones cause corn to snap?
(00:47:47) - Have you got any acres lined up for the 2017 crop?
(00:48:54) - DRIVES: The Challenges of Selling Drones
(00:54:22) - Farmer Talk: Diversifying the Farm

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.

Chapters

(00:00:51) - Welcome Back
(00:01:26) - Drones at the End User Spray Drone Conference
(00:05:19) - A Drone For The First Time
(00:11:07) - First Spray Drones in the USA Market
(00:14:39) - Speakers at Spray Drone Conference
(00:17:42) - Drones at a Commercial Show
(00:21:12) - Drones in the U.S.
(00:23:13) - Do You Need a Drone?
(00:27:24) - Do Drones Need T100s?
(00:31:08) - T1 Hundreds vs T50: Battery
(00:34:59) - Drones or No Drones?
(00:38:45) - Do Farmers Need Drones?
(00:42:49) - Crawdads Spreading and Rat Bait With T100
(00:45:53) - Crazy Things Drones Will Do