The DroneOn Show

Mike & Kevin

The Drone On Show is your ultimate podcast for everything drones! Join us as we dive into the exciting world of drone technology, from our company’s groundbreaking work using thermal drones to recover lost deer for hunters and agricultural drones to revolutionize crop spraying for farmers. But we don’t stop there—we explore it all: cutting-edge advancements, regulations, and the limitless possibilities of drones in every industry. Expect thrilling stories, expert insights, and a passion for innovation that keeps you hooked. Whether you’re a drone enthusiast, hunter, farmer, or tech lover, tune in for a show that soars above the rest!

  1. 18 HRS AGO

    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 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

    1hr 16min

  2. 15 MAY

    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. Chapters (00:00:00) - Getting Started in the Drone Industry(00:03:07) - How To Hydrate With A T100(00:06:46) - How to spray a lot of wheat(00:07:14) - Flying a drone from a trailer(00:09:41) - Would You Upgrade to a T100 Drone?(00:14:17) - Do You Need A Generator For Your Drone?(00:18:03) - DJI's Generator Is Genius(00:21:46) - Is a Hybrid Drone Necessary?(00:24:35) - DRone: M30T Drone Relays(00:28:33) - How To Water Lily Pads(00:32:32) - Don't Let Invasive Growth Grow in Your Ponds(00:36:57) - Do drones help with aquatics?(00:38:54) - Getting Started with a Drone Business(00:42:41) - Would You Buy Your Drone From New Way AG?(00:46:02) - Drone Pilots: Should You Branch Out?(00:48:07) - Reasons to Buy a Drone Trailer(00:52:42) - New Way Trailer: The Toolbox

    57 min

  3. 8 MAY

    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. Chapters (00:00:00) - Flying a Drone(00:02:12) - Farmers Turn from Row Crops to Turf(00:06:43) - How a spray business helped farmers control weeds(00:10:37) - Prior to drones, vegetation sprayers were essential(00:13:51) - Hand Hoses for UTVs(00:14:11) - Chemical Guys(00:15:28) - Do glyphosate and paraquat cause cancer?(00:19:16) - How to Choose the Right Herbicide(00:21:53) - Farmers get their hands on a drone(00:23:28) - Farmers get weed control certificate(00:26:41) - Blaze Drone Exemption(00:30:43) - Flying a drone through a power line(00:34:12) - Drones go into the Catawba River(00:37:34) - Drone Gone Missing in the River(00:41:15) - Drones for Forestry: Growing(00:44:31) - How many acres of forest land do you spray now?(00:46:03) - Is there enough work in your area for what you guys do?(00:49:23) - Flying the T50 on M+(00:51:25) - New Ag Demo: Drone Hunting(00:54:29) - What Keeps You Flying Your DJI Drone?(00:58:21) - DJI Launches in China(00:58:38) - Jason Jay on His Mistakes

    59 min

  4. 1 MAY

    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. Chapters (00:00:00) - Eastern Oregon Cattle Industry(00:03:30) - How to properly spray mosquito repellent with a drone(00:07:23) - Small-scale drone use(00:11:47) - Federal Firefighting Drone Programs(00:16:13) - DJI P100 Pro vs. P100(00:18:09) - DJI Drone Sales(00:21:43) - Drones for onions(00:27:16) - Reasons to be honest with applic(00:28:17) - Farm Bureaus on Drone Industry(00:30:00) - Do drones need FAA regulation?(00:34:54) - Agriculture Drone Regulations(00:39:18) - Do drones cause wildfires?(00:41:28) - Do You Need a Drone Pilot License in Oregon?(00:46:14) - Farmers on the Drone Industry(00:49:58) - New Drone Applicators Coming into the Industry(00:50:35) - John Deere vs Drone(00:56:20) - Farmers on John Deere and Drone(00:58:24) - Do You Need a Double Deck Drone Trailer?(01:01:17) - Drone On The Drone

    1hr 2min

  5. 24 APR

    Midwest Drone Applications: 66K Acres, Team Management & Hard Lessons | DroneOn Show Ep 45

    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.

    58 min

  6. 17 APR

    From FFA Project to Multi-Crew Operation: Hayden’s Spray Drone Journey at 20 | DroneOn Show Ep 44

    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. Chapters (00:00:00) - Drone on Air(00:00:52) - Helping others with their drone business(00:03:47) - Drones for Agriculture, Small Business(00:05:57) - Midwest Airline: Drone Sales and Application(00:07:17) - DJI vs Talos: Drone Sales(00:09:15) - Is DJI's UAV Too Big for Orchard?(00:12:00) - What Drone Should You Use?(00:15:42) - Is the T60 Drone Safe?(00:17:51) - Buzzing Around With the Talos(00:18:55) - Drones for corn: Night ops(00:21:15) - Do You Need a Generator For Your XAG DJI?(00:24:48) - Diesel generators(00:25:20) - Reasons Behind Starting a Drone Business(00:28:43) - Farm Cents: Deer Recovery on the Podcast(00:32:05) - Farmers Help with Drone Deer Recovery(00:32:59) - Flying a drone at 20 years old(00:34:10) - Have you gotten any heat from traditional aerial application companies? Drone or(00:38:05) - Drones Give Farmers More Control(00:39:08) - How to Spray Power Lines in a Hard Year(00:43:10) - Herbicides Ready for the Smoke(00:44:13) - Do Power Lines Need to Be sprayed?(00:48:57) - Reasons to Start a Spray Drone Business(00:52:56) - XAG atomizer vs DJI: How to spray honeys(00:56:47) - Dozens of acres of honeysuckle sprayed in Montana(00:59:18) - How to Control Autumn Olive(01:02:05) - "Don't Take Too Much Risk" By Tim Ferriss(01:02:30) - TALKING TECHNOLOGY

    1hr 3min

  7. 10 APR

    Vidalia Onion Farmer Goes All-In on T100 Spray Drones | The DroneOn Show Episode 43

    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.

    49 min

  8. 3 APR

    24-Year-Old Builds Full Drone Business in Alabama | The DroneOn Show Episode 42

    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

    58 min
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About

The Drone On Show is your ultimate podcast for everything drones! Join us as we dive into the exciting world of drone technology, from our company’s groundbreaking work using thermal drones to recover lost deer for hunters and agricultural drones to revolutionize crop spraying for farmers. But we don’t stop there—we explore it all: cutting-edge advancements, regulations, and the limitless possibilities of drones in every industry. Expect thrilling stories, expert insights, and a passion for innovation that keeps you hooked. Whether you’re a drone enthusiast, hunter, farmer, or tech lover, tune in for a show that soars above the rest!

Information

  • Creator
    Mike & Kevin
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    The DroneOn Show

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