The DroneOn Show

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 tools like Claude, the expanding dealer program with a new flagship store in Wichita, DJI’s renewed focus on the US market, the upcoming pickup truck unit, power washing opportunities, and lessons on successful partnerships. Honest, practical talk from the owners on operations, growth, and elevating spray drone applications.

NuWay Ag Track is live — Download now:
• Apple App Store → https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nuway-agtrack/id6748161334
• Google Play → https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nuwayag.agtrack&pcampaignid=web_share

Chapters

(00:00:00) - New Ag Drone on-Air
(00:00:38) - Claude the Drone App...
(00:05:45) - What was the biggest thing that stood out to you on SWAT testing
(00:13:45) - Drones for Agriculture: More Testing
(00:19:36) - Want to become a drone expert?
(00:20:56) - Do You Need A Drone To Swat?
(00:22:56) - Drone Speed vs. T100
(00:25:00) - How To Spray With a Drone
(00:28:00) - Quad Nozzles vs Dual Nozzle: Do They Even
(00:33:12) - vs. DJI Drone: Best Spray Drone
(00:36:43) - DJI's US Commitment
(00:39:22) - Farmers: The Drone Competition
(00:47:11) - Farmers on DJI drones
(00:50:05) - Experimental Drone Company's Success in a Partnership
(00:51:47) - How To Get Out Of A Partner Partnership
(00:54:16) - Drone on a Cat's Back
(00:56:42) - Would a Paraglider Use a Drone to Spray Baseball Fields
(01:00:14) - Flying a drone is illegal in Colorado
(01:01:28) - New Way Ag: The Drone Dealer Program
(01:05:33) - Drone Day Recovery: What You Need To Know
(01:08:08) - Top 1% of Shopify stores: New Ag Store in Kansas
(01:10:58) - Logan Paul on His Podcast
(01:12:13) - Can We Increase the Yield of Corn Using Spray Drones?

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, precision ripening sprays, chemical penetration, and high-stakes field work. The conversation dives into real-world drone incidents, trailer setups, military-honed discipline in operations, and why drones offer a safer, scalable path compared to traditional aerial application. A fascinating look at aviation pros bringing elite skills to ag drones in tough southern conditions.

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 partner while balancing family life (including 7 kids and a serious coon hunting hobby). Bryce also opens up about his background in CNC machining, RV sales, and why he’s ready to go all-in on drones as he moves back to southern Indiana. A raw, honest look at what it takes for a complete newcomer to enter the spray drone world.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Should You Buy a Drone?
(00:02:29) - Crop Duster Ready to Fly With Spray Drone
(00:03:33) - Seeking a Side Gig
(00:05:07) - Cleaning Up Your Farming Fields
(00:06:38) - Former Conservation Officer Turns Back to Hunting Coons at 31
(00:09:59) - How To Hunt a Coone
(00:12:26) - Coon Hunting: The Big Money
(00:14:50) - How to Talk to Coons
(00:17:21) - How to Make a Million-Dollar Contractor
(00:17:36) - RV Sales Are Booming
(00:21:13) - Need a Backup Drone Rig For Your Farming
(00:24:30) - How to Get Your Drone License in Indiana
(00:26:02) - How To Raise Longhorns
(00:29:00) - How An Outdoor Dad Helped His Kids
(00:31:16) - One man's struggle to start a business after his father
(00:33:54) - Dempsey on Drone Deer Recovery
(00:37:06) - How to Find the Drone Dealmer
(00:40:34) - Battery Charges for a Truck
(00:41:32) - Battery Packs on tractors
(00:44:37) - How close is Australia to Brisbane?
(00:45:01) - Farmers Own Multiple Millions of Acres in Australia
(00:47:22) - Flying a drone without a dealer
(00:50:08) - Cut Her Down

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.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Drone on Air
(00:03:27) - AI Drone Flies Through the Ice
(00:05:08) - Need for a Mini-Truck
(00:08:30) - Have You Seen Justin's Hilux?
(00:09:18) - Farm Life on a Tobacco Farm
(00:13:04) - How to grow a tobacco crop as a kid
(00:16:32) - Teens grow tobacco as a kid
(00:17:51) - How To Put Tobacco In a Box
(00:20:53) - How To Cope With Tobacco
(00:22:46) - Football, Baseball
(00:24:32) - How to grow hemp
(00:29:12) - Farmers grow hemp in Ohio
(00:32:19) - How My Sister Got Her $19,000
(00:35:25) - Cattleman on the Drone Committee
(00:38:01) - T-50 vs. 50
(00:39:47) - Flying a drone through Christmas trees
(00:41:55) - I Was Spray Milk For Deer Repelent!
(00:46:01) - Spray Drone Pilot
(00:48:31) - What for New Farmers is the Grind?

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

Jeremy Shelton - https://www.dronedeerrecovery.com/pages/pilots/midwest-thermal-drones

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Drones for Deer Recovery in Illinois
(00:02:24) - Illinois Conservation Officers: They Don't Like to Lose
(00:03:50) - Lawyers on Wildlife Conservation Issues
(00:04:18) - Drone Business in Illinois
(00:05:59) - Drone Hunting in Illinois
(00:10:46) - Waterfowl Hunting Cases
(00:15:07) - game warden issues drone ticket
(00:19:48) - Drones in Illinois
(00:23:46) - Defense on Drone Case
(00:28:41) - The Drone Case: Pursuing a Deer
(00:33:21) - Don't Use a Drone to Find a Deer
(00:36:44) - Defense of Drone Deer Recovery
(00:41:43) - Flying a thermal drone is a violation of conservation law
(00:45:29) - Democracy on Drone Hunting in Illinois
(00:49:23) - How to locate a wounded deer by thermal drone
(00:51:36) - Flying a drone in the woods
(00:55:45) - How to Get Your Drone Prosecuted
(00:59:52) - Do Conservation Officers Need to Charge Drone Users?
(01:03:47) - Deer Recovery in Pike County
(01:08:38) - Drones for Business: How to Run a Drone Business
(01:09:31) - The Dad on the Drone Case
(01:13:26) - Drones Are Coming after You in Illinois