The DroneOn Show

Mike & Kevin
  • 4.5 (2)
  • Technology

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. 5d ago

    Opening Season Update: Early Recoveries, FAA Enforcement & Heavy Lift Case | The DroneOn Show Ep 65

    In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike, Kevin and Jay catch up at the start of drone deer recovery season. Ohio’s weather has already made it a busy opening, and they talk through early recoveries, missed calls, and why hunters usually only contact one pilot before moving on. Kevin shares how AI agents have started handling real work inside the business, then the conversation turns to the FAA inspection video some viewers called fake, the letter that showed up about 30 days later, and the long-running enforcement case tied to heavy lift. They also walk through what an attorney told them counts as hunting, and fresh pilot locator numbers: more than 300 leads in seven days and over 1,000 in the last 30, with Ohio in front and strong activity in states that say you cannot do it. Chapters (00:00:00) - Season Kickoff and Drone Deer Recoveries(00:01:00) - AI Agents Joining the Team(00:03:05) - FAA Inspection Video Backlash(00:05:07) - Heavy Lift Drone FAA Enforcement Saga(00:09:41) - FAA's Role: Commerce vs Safety(00:10:44) - Amazon Drone Deliveries and State Lawsuits(00:12:23) - Future of Part 108 and Drone Certification(00:15:12) - Government Logic and Innovation Frustrations(00:18:29) - Being Open vs Hiding Heavy Lift Operations(00:20:12) - Helicopter vs Drone Safety Comparison(00:21:30) - Mountain Rescue Drone Denial Story(00:25:25) - Homeland Security Drone Audit Reveals DJI Superiority(00:27:28) - US Manufacturing Push vs Consumer Cost(00:31:00) - FCC Comment Period and DJI Ban Timeline(00:33:03) - DJI Reliability and Spray Drone Durability(00:36:27) - T100 Acreage Stats and Efficiency(00:38:28) - Platinum Trailer and Future Pilot Tech(00:41:12) - Wichita Grand Opening Event(00:43:09) - Pilot Locator Map Success Stories(00:45:09) - Drone Deer Recovery Brand Origin Story(00:50:24) - Legal Gray Areas in Different States(00:56:18) - Illinois Fight: Hunting Definitions and Rights(00:57:42) - Protecting Yourself with Documentation(01:00:52) - Planning the Illinois Recovery Trip(01:02:23) - Pilot Locator Map Lead Data Deep Dive(01:05:58) - Ohio's Great Season and Wrap Up

  2. Oct 2

    Shelter Harbor Golf Club: How Spray Drones Replaced Hand Spraying | The DroneOn Show Episode 64

    In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike sits down with Chris at Shelter Harbor Golf Club to talk through how spray drones fit a high-end course. The connection started when the superintendent saw one of Mike’s early thermal deer recovery videos, then later watched golf course spray content and decided to try it. Chris walks through using thermal for deer counts and irrigation leaks, then using the spray drone on steep native areas, hills, and ponds that used to take a week of hand spraying. They cover the shift from a John Deere GPS sprayer and backpack work, early-morning applications before members arrive, robot mowers already on the property, and why this course is keeping the drone operation small and focused instead of building a full spray team. Be sure to follow them on instagram! - greensandgrounds nuWay video: https://youtu.be/BQg2IKEFADM Chapters (00:00:00) - Intro at Shelter Harbor Golf Club(00:00:13) - How the drone connection with Mike started(00:02:03) - Irrigation system and pump capacity(00:03:30) - Golf team roles and course culture(00:04:21) - Embracing tech and innovation at the course(00:06:08) - Why the spray drone was needed for tough terrain(00:09:27) - Learning to fly the T100 spray drone(00:11:10) - Time savings and quality from drone spraying(00:12:27) - Case-by-case use: trees, fungicide, and Mike's expertise(00:14:05) - Advice for other golf courses on adopting tech(00:16:08) - Where spray drones fit best (sod farms vs golf courses)(00:17:19) - In-house vs outsourced operations(00:17:47) - Course budget, ranking, and reputation(00:19:56) - History and natural design of the course(00:21:16) - Chris's path from bunker raking to tech lead(00:23:38) - Aeration week explained(00:26:32) - Staffing levels and 24/7 clubhouse(00:27:34) - Clubhouse architecture and Nantucket comparison(00:29:03) - Living on property and being on call 24/7(00:30:49) - Emergency stories: geyser pipe failure(00:32:23) - Membership exclusivity and commitment required(00:36:37) - Drone security and detecting unauthorized flights(00:40:03) - Future drone uses: heavy lift and spreading(00:45:02) - Liquid vs granular fertilizer applications(00:45:45) - Grueling first week and work culture(00:47:46) - Future of drones on golf courses(00:50:03) - Robot mowers for course and residential use(00:52:51) - Closing thanks and where to follow more content

  3. Sep 18

    Henry Hochstetler Left Construction for 15K Spray Acres | The DroneOn Show Episode 63

    In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike sits back down with Henry Hochstetler, who has gone from construction work to a full-time spray and thermal drone lifestyle. Henry talks through his season with the T100 after coming from a T40, including cover-crop seeding into standing corn and beans, how accurate the spreading system actually was. He put up about 15,650 spray acres this year between Indiana and Ohio, mostly by himself. They get into the family side of being gone for weeks at a time, teaching younger guys to fly, a power-line crash that the T100 walked away from, and why grit matters more than farming experience if you want to last in this work. Chapters (00:00:00) - Intro: Henry's Transition to Full-Time Drone Work(00:00:38) - Herbicide and Seeding Jobs with T100(00:01:40) - Cover Crop Seeding Experiences(00:04:45) - Pricing and Acreage: T100 Capabilities(00:06:17) - Season Numbers: Acres Sprayed in Indiana and Ohio(00:08:02) - Family Life and Balancing Drone Business(00:09:34) - Training Others and Growing the Business(00:11:49) - Thermal Work and Longbow Hunting Intro(00:13:21) - Longbow Hunting Stories and Gear(00:15:20) - Comparing Income: Drones vs Construction(00:15:58) - Guiding Business and Deer Management(00:18:49) - Thermal Drones for Deer Recovery(00:21:20) - Debate on Thermal Drones and Hunting Ethics(00:23:46) - Earnings Breakdown: Thermal and Spray Drone Income(00:26:19) - Family Time and Future Plans with Kids(00:26:27) - Drone Delivery Ideas and Baiting Discussion(00:28:04) - Hunting Public Land and Longbow Challenges(00:30:04) - Family Hunting Traditions and Kids(00:30:34) - Long-Term Vision for the Drone Business(00:33:20) - Starting Your Own Spray Drone Business(00:36:14) - Variable Rate Spraying and Industry Growth(00:38:50) - Drone Reliability and Crash Stories(00:40:17) - Comparing Drone Models: T40 vs T100 Reliability(00:42:28) - Chill Spraying Experience with New Equipment(00:44:59) - Advice for New Drone Business Owners(00:46:51) - Winning Farmer Trust Through Professionalism(00:49:59) - Contact Info and Closing Thoughts

  4. Sep 11

    Vegas Drone Expo Recap: NDAA Lists, Unfinished Drones & What’s Next | The DroneOn Show Episode 62

    In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike, Jay and Kevin recap their trip through the Las Vegas drone expo and what they actually saw in the NDAA-compliant booths. The sales pitch was almost never “this drone is good.” It was “this drone is on the list.” A lot of what they walked past still looked unfinished, 3D-printed, unpriced, or years away from being something a spray, thermal, or mapping operator can buy and use. The conversation turns to why so much money is chasing government contracts instead of commercial work, the FCC proposal timeline, and why they keep telling people to buy the Matrice 4 and 4TD now if they’ve been on the fence. They also touch the follow-up after last week’s FAA episode, the reality of getting watched as you grow, and the Platinum trailer heading to Kansas. Chapters (00:00:00) - Opening banter and drone rip-off jokes(00:00:49) - Meeting recap and NDAA compliance marketing(00:02:10) - Vegas Drone Expo impressions: unfinished products(00:03:47) - Government funding and lack of commercial focus(00:05:10) - No pathway to commercial drones without military funding(00:06:30) - Impact on hobbyists and small drone businesses(00:08:05) - Which drones will remain sellable under new rules(00:09:17) - FCC rule timeline and process concerns(00:11:20) - Who decides military grade and industry reaction(00:12:19) - Service providers and rental business models(00:14:21) - Skydio rental scheme and government motives(00:15:53) - Coolest drone seen: Brink police drone(00:16:48) - DJI's transmission moat and Starlink integration(00:18:32) - Industry growth predictions for next year(00:19:10) - Lidar and mapping business opportunities(00:21:17) - Big companies vs small operators in lidar(00:22:10) - Orthomosaic mapping and crop scanning at scale(00:24:02) - Barriers to entry for small lidar businesses(00:28:57) - New unconventional drone uses seen at show(00:30:00) - Thermal drones for firefighting life-saving use(00:32:11) - Cost of thermal drones for fire departments(00:33:01) - Stages of grief over industry changes(00:33:58) - Iowa drone surveillance law and deer recovery(00:38:39) - Debate over surveillance rights and homestead law(00:41:50) - Manned drone loophole and law details(00:45:58) - FAA scrutiny and company growing pains(00:48:48) - Pioneering deer recovery and regulatory gaps(00:54:19) - Heavy lift drones and FAA exemption struggles(00:56:16) - Six month outlook and buying Matrice 4T advice(00:57:50) - Closing reflections: downer tone but real talk(00:58:33) - Searching for a bright spot to end on

  5. Aug 27

    We Got Inspected by the FAA | The DroneOn Show Episode 61

    In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike, Jay and Kevin recaps nuWay Ag’s first on-site FAA Part 137 inspection. What was expected to feel like an OSHA-style fine hunt turned out to be professional, reasonable, and educational. The inspectors—manned aircraft pilots—spent hours on site, asked real questions, and focused on safety and recordkeeping rather than looking for problems. The conversation covers how they were selected, why the AG Track app made the paperwork side much easier, how few inspectors there are for the growing number of Part 137 operations, and why operators shouldn’t panic about an inspection if they’re running a legitimate program. They also talk FCC comment deadlines, buying drones amid uncertainty, and how the Platinum trailer held up when the inspectors walked through it. Comment now: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs We use nuWayAgTrack for all of our jobs — it makes tracking, reporting, and managing spray drone work so much easier. Download now, the app is live! • 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) - Drone Workout(00:00:58) - FAA On-Site Drone Inspection(00:03:37) - Airplane Safety: AG Track App(00:08:10) - Flying Instructor on Part 137 Inspection(00:11:52) - Farmers on Drone Exemption(00:14:41) - Drones: Should You Fly a Class 3 Medical?(00:19:12) - Farmers: Do We Need Drones on Our Property?(00:25:26) - Farmers Take for Granted DJI's Drones(00:30:05) - Jay Miller: If We Bans Chinese Drones,(00:33:12) - The U of E Drone Conference(00:34:53) - How to Leave a Comment on the FCC Drone Proposal(00:37:44) - Private vs Public: Drone Compliance(00:41:22) - New Way Ag: Drone Trailer Inspection(00:45:13) - Pilots on the Run

  6. Aug 21

    Mike & Kevin Catch-Up: FCC Rules, Wichita Store & New Platinum Trailer | The DroneOn Show Episode 60

    In this DroneOn Show owners catch-up, Mike and Kevin sit down after a busy spray season to talk shop. They recap how the service team handled repairs, improved parts availability compared to last year, and the need for more temporary help next season as thermal work ramps up. The conversation turns to the biggest issue in the industry right now—the proposed FCC rules and potential restrictions on foreign-made drones—and why they chose not to add more fear-based content. They also give an update on the Wichita storefront (praised by DJI as the best retail space they’ve seen in the US), the new climate-controlled Pilot Command Center trailer, and a class-action lawsuit involving the J100. Honest talk on the current market, American manufacturing timelines, and staying optimistic about the future of spray and thermal drones. Chapters (00:00:00) - Woodlands Drone Guys on the Down(00:03:08) - Do You Need a Helicopter to Remove a Tree?(00:04:57) - FCC Drone Rulemaking: What to Do About It(00:09:26) - DJI's New Way Ag Store in Wichita(00:15:33) - Drones, retail sales outlook(00:16:44) - New Way Ag: Five Things a Distributor Should Expect From Their(00:21:44) - Drones for Farming: How we suck(00:23:58) - Trump's Foreign Drone Ban(00:28:56) - What That Means For The American Worker(00:32:50) - Adam Levine on Men and the 2020 election(00:38:12) - UPS Driver on Customer Service(00:44:30) - Tunnel Drone Recovery Expert(00:47:34) - Buzzing Around on a Drone(00:48:02) - EA Vision Faces Class Action Lawsuit(00:48:40) - New Way Ag Platinum Trailer: $87,500(00:53:47) - Flying a drone on a farm(00:57:25) - Agra Drone Group on proposed class action lawsuit

    Mike & Kevin Catch-Up: FCC Rules, Wichita Store & New Platinum Trailer | The DroneOn Show Episode 60

  7. Aug 14

    5-Year-Old Viviana Takes Over the DroneOn Show | The DroneOn Show Episode 59

    In this special DroneOn Show episode, Mike sits down with his 5-year-old daughter Viviana for her very first podcast appearance. Fresh off a workout and still in her cowgirl boots, Viviana chats about her pony Misty, what she knows about spray drones and thermal deer recovery, going on jobs with her dad, and why she loves finding deer. She shares her favorite parts of family life, her thoughts on school (she’s homeschooled), what she wants to be when she grows up, and plenty of fun, honest moments that only a 5-year-old can deliver. A light-hearted, heartwarming episode that shows the family side of the drone business. Chapters (00:00:00) - Drone on the Show(00:02:47) - Why Do I Like Spray Drones So Much?(00:06:02) - 5-Year-Old Interview(00:09:52) - Reveal: Finding a Deer(00:10:43) - Why Do You Like Doing Podcasts?(00:12:17) - Students Save Money For Vacation(00:13:04) - What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?(00:17:52) - Drones for Kids: Learning How to Fly(00:21:46) - What's Next For You?(00:22:27) - Viviana's Birthday Party

    5-Year-Old Viviana Takes Over the DroneOn Show | The DroneOn Show Episode 59

  8. Aug 7

    Iowa & Mexico Spray Pilots: Zane & Bernhard on Startup Stories & Future of Drones | DroneOn Show Ep 58

    In this DroneOn Show episode, Mike sits down with two fellow spray drone applicators: Zane Carter of Neutral Drones in Iowa and Bernhard Martens from Chihuahua, Mexico. Zane shares how a layoff from Wells Fargo led him into the industry, flying T40s in his first year and covering thousands of acres before building his own operation. Bernhard recounts starting in 2021 with a single T20 funded by his farm boss, working the farm by day and custom spraying by night to hit 8,000 acres in his first season—with a drone so reliable it barely needed parts. The three discuss early crashes, power lines as the biggest threat, differences in field sizes and operations between Iowa and Mexico, the strong ongoing demand for custom work, and where the industry is headed over the next five years as more farmers consider buying their own drones while custom applicators continue to scale. Chapters (00:00:00) - Nutri Drones: Drone On Air(00:00:22) - How to Get Out of Dropping Chemicals(00:02:36) - How to spray drones on a farm(00:06:46) - Buy Back My Drone Back(00:07:38) - Drone Crash During Spray(00:10:15) - Flying a drone off a power line(00:13:26) - Are there any regulations on crop spraying in Mexico?(00:15:45) - Flying a drone damaged by fire(00:17:14) - The Hard Work of Having a Drone Business(00:21:02) - Drones for Business: More Customization, Less Stress(00:21:58) - Why drones are crashed in the night(00:24:48) - Farmhouse on an Acreage(00:25:55) - Continued growth in custom app business(00:27:07) - Had I Said No to More Acres, I Would Have Had(00:27:37) - Farmers Talk About Drone Sales(00:31:54) - DJI's 14,000 Generator(00:34:47) - Do You Need a Diesel Generator For Drone Applications?(00:37:28) - Big Battery Packs For Solar Power(00:40:13) - Do You Need Solar to Fly?(00:41:41) - T70 vs T100(00:43:14) - What to Do About Dual-Motor Drones(00:46:59) - Do You Need a Drone to Spray?(00:49:24) - Do drones affect crop spraying?(00:52:44) - Is it Too Late to Start a Drone Business?(00:55:21) - Drones Coming soon to our Region

See All (65)

Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
2 Ratings

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
    65
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    The DroneOn Show

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