VLOG: A Day as a Drone Spray Pilot

Ever wonder what it's like to operate a spray drone business? Mike takes you along on a day in the life of a spray drone pilot. It's easier when you have the right tools.
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@nuWayAg
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[@liamsweeney1620]

this is the first time in a while where new tech actually feels like an innovation

[@nuWayAg]

It’s an exciting industry

[@bashkillszombies]

@@nuWayAgWheat that needed TO BE sprayed. Idk why in the last 5 years every American on the internet has just started saying "needed sprayed" or decided to drop the words to and be from sentences but it sounds pigshit ignorant.

[@Dale1C]

@@bashkillszombies colour, catalogue, favour... americans have dropped a lot of things out of the english language, which became the accepted use, this may be no different. It's a peasants language, after all ;)

[@James_Lim]

This is so damn cool. Love all of your redundancies and ease-of-use measures. So cool. I'm just an FPV drone pilot who loves this stuff! Subscribed!

[@51Drones]

This is great! Thanks for sharing. I’m more motivated to look into this further.

[@nuWayAg]

👍👍

[@shanenelms9740]

Mike this is a really nice set up I’m proud of u brother keep up doing ur thang and don’t listen to the haters. Im going to be calling u soon I’m fixing to take my part 107 exam and I will want to wheel and deal

[@LK-bz9sk]

Great video. I have not seen this application for a drone especially in a commercial set up that is so efficient and well thought out.

[@nuWayAg]

Appreciate it! The acres/hour we are getting vs last year with a different setup is insane

[@johnryan296]

That's an amazing process.

[@nuWayAg]

Thank you for the support!

[@lakesideaudio]

Wow what a great business I really like this 🇬🇧🇬🇧thanks for the video

[@SkyStepDrones68]

Great video! This sounds like something I'II be interested in.

[@gracedbygod2854]

That's Awesome!! I love your set up.

[@nuWayAg]

Appreciate it! Thanks for watching!

[@EarlybirdFarmSC]

Man you have a super slick system figured out. I love it. The only thing g I’d change is to figure out a way to raise the drone battery packs where they are higher on the top deck. I only say this because I have back issues so it would help me, otherwise it is a perfect setup.

[@michaelconnor5922]

Awesome setup 👌 👍👏

[@MrCyp200la]

Very cool.👍

[@jameslawson9527]

This is about the coolest job I've ever seen

[@nuWayAg]

Could not agree more. It’s crazy to think you can make six figures doing something this fun.

[@bryanthompson260]

Nice!

[@noticestudios]

so COOL. thank you for sharing

[@TravelingCreative]

Oh yeah I’m interested

[@whatatimetobealive7436]

Brilliant! I'm an Ag' drone pilot flying a similar T40 and to be honest I didn't believe you when you said you did 11,000 acres in 24 days, but damn yes you did, I can see how! My efficiency levels leaves a lot to be desired!

[@nuWayAg]

Time is money! And your only making it when drone is in the air 😎

[@whatatimetobealive7436]

@@nuWayAg thanks for the challenge. Love from 🇰🇪

[@5243fluffy]

How do you get around not having a VO? Otherwise amazing setup

[@KoiLaEH6]

Hey it is the first video I see from you. This is so inspiring to do some cool stuff with our hobbies. I didn't know there was a possibility beside video shots to do some work to get cash. Thank you !

[@nuWayAg]

Glad you found us! We started drone deer recovery which is another way of making good money with a thermal drone

[@mbs7567]

That’s awesome, but just laying the hose on the floor? After all the other cool stuff?

[@nuWayAg]

:)))

[@dronesinconstruction]

You need a spray drone for the FAA Airworthiness check to even apply for a 137 correct?

[@sharkdog2609]

What’s your pricing like compared to a fixed wing application? Id be curious to see you do a spray pattern test like they do with fixed wing aircraft. Im wondering how different the coverage is, if you could find a fixed wing pilot to do a side by side comparison that would be worth filming. Obviously its the busy season now, but maybe when things slow down etc.

[@jimhoge3252]

Super cool. So much more opportunity than deer recovery.

[@nuWayAg]

Ag is a huge industry. And every year this service is needed

[@1lifeonearth]

Do you think you could charge one spare drone battery by connecting to the '2400-Watt Power Inverter' that exists on some trucks? to save money instead of buying battery charger generators and stuff? for a really small sized operation

[@nuWayAg]

No. You need 9000 W or 10,000 W output.

[@tylergriffin263]

can you do orchards with rows of trees and 10-15 meter shelter belts?

[@gregj7916]

Interesting setup, I thought the drone would fly a little lower over the crop, the system has to be better for the land than using a big heavy wheeled sprayer.

[@speedy0_FPV]

awesome, thanks for sharing, yes I'am interested in getting into the game.

[@nuWayAg]

👌🙌

[@jeradperkins9017]

Nice job on the video.

[@nuWayAg]

Thanks!

[@kcjay8171]

i hope you wud get a drone with a large capacity , its some lovely tech

[@BigWaveStudio]

Hey Mike, appreciate your content! Pretty cool to see what's going on in the agricultural space. I have my drone license in case you guys are hiring or need help in Illinois.

[@nuWayAg]

Thanks for watching!

[@coltenkemp6485]

Pretty cool technology, I can see this replacing conventional spraying methods in the near future.

[@jasonhessels]

They said that about helicopter and airplane spraying…… Yes there will be a super neat niche market for them…. But replace conventional spraying, not even maybe.

[@dammitbobby283]

5:38 Why do you have the flight controllers located backward to the flight deck location of each drone?

[@XavierKelly]

What were you spraying that day?

[@us34name]

Are you operating both drones using one controller or two? Also isnt swarming illegal as well as flying without a visual observer?

[@robertproctor4265]

I saw your rig on 465 in Indy a couple weeks back… thinking what the heck is that…. Scrolling thru KZbin day and your video shows up.

[@nuWayAg]

crazy 😬 👍🏼

[@greggreg2263]

Very nice operation how much would it be to purchase the whole set up that you have in this video?

[@nuWayAg]

100kish

[@lennyross2813]

What chemicals are you using? Any PPE needed?

[@thedrone.studio]

that trailer setup is so cool!

[@nuWayAg]

Appreciate it

[@duuurs]

As a 107 pilot for 4 years in Nebraska, really looking at the ag side of things. Did you receive a waiver to operate multiple drones with a single pilot? Seems like having 2 going at once really steps up the speed.

[@dyolinlinlin]

How do you lock up the drones/batteries/generators? Do the drones just live on the top at all times?

[@nuWayAg]

Yup. Full review video dropping soon that shows the tie down system

[@aidenmoyer4911]

Can you make a video showing how you run 2 drones at a time? I can't tell if they are running different parts of the same mission or 2 different missions.

[@SlackerU]

You use two pilots. jkjk I know what you're asking.

[@khancrow7015]

He explained in this very video....Humans have lost the ability to comprehend apparently...

[@aidenmoyer4911]

​​@@khancrow7015Do you have a link? I wasn't able to find it. Thank you in advance

[@dronemafiaproduction.]

I need this

[@walttrowbridge7687]

Very cool. As a industrial automation/controls/electrical engineer, you got me wanting to get into this. I been flying manual FPV freestyle drones for a couple years now, been into land/water RC's for about 9 years. But this, i would so totally do a total career change for. I live in north eastern indiana around alot of farming. I'm sure if wouldnt take me long to pick up business.

[@nuWayAg]

Great time to get into this business 🙌

[@walttrowbridge7687]

@nuWayAg I don't have alot of ways to get that kind of $$ to start with, but I'm good at building things, electrically mechanically, and drones, I figure I could start as a side hustle and do it until I get a lucky break and go at it full time.

[@user-fv5yo5fi5c]

Very cool technology. The view we get on KZbin looks as if the spray is all over the place and missing quite a bit of the intended crop???? I know the video doesn't do this justice. I think we have a long way to go before this becomes as efficient as the good old fashioned way. The biggest issue I see is the limited amount of product the drone can carry and the wind. That's just one opinion.

[@bmorrison0070]

Wow, what a great setup. Very interesting to see the process.

[@nuWayAg]

Appreciate the comment. It’s the most efficient way to cover acres for sure.

[@WaltWW]

What chemicals are you spraying? No PPE? How do you wash out your equipment if you need to change to spray something else?

[@oliversolheim4026]

I work with ag tractor aka airplane crop-dusters we rarely rinse out the tanks it should not mater being that it is usually a trace amount. he is working with just diluted chemical and he seems to not be spilling any he also has long sleeves pants and a hat but I would also probably were gloves but normally nobody's watching over his shoulder so it doesn't matter. sorry for the run on sentence.

[@ekalb7789]

Are you doing multispectral and prescriptive application? Or does the farm typically prescribe the application rates?

[@nuWayAg]

We have a mavic 3m but don’t use it our most common workflow. Farmer prescribes and purchases. We apply

[@ekalb7789]

@@nuWayAg thanks for taking time to respond

[@matthewhamel7192]

I have been interested in this for a while. I think there's a market but don't know how to get started.

[@johnd.5964]

Serious question: how do you deal with applications that require, say, 75% of the rotor diameter as specified on the label?

[@jocelynsmith5214]

Are you going to to look into a t50?

[@nuWayAg]

Yes. Demoing some units. It’s a marginal upgrade but not really available until july

[@cyberianfps1480]

do you have any issues with the FAA "flying more than one aircraft at a time?"

[@lefr8]

A standard commercial drone license doesn’t allow for over seeing multiple drones. Must have gotten a waiver. Similar to the drone light show businesses I guess?

[@4x4x420]

That’s it. I expect way more performance. Maybe next time.

[@brentwilson2264]

What’s the trailer setup run?

[@nuWayAg]

About 100k for everything

[@jimhoge3252]

Can you give me a ballpark idea of setup cost for trailer unit? 3 drones, tanks, generators?? This is awesome

[@nuWayAg]

The typical loadout we recommend with two drones and a trailer is under 100k

[@jimhoge3252]

Does customer provide spray materials?

[@thattechguyreview]

How are you able to fly 2 drones by yourself at the same time? Is there another exemption that comes on top of what is required for these to start?

[@SlackerU]

I hadn't noticed that. It is an FAA rule, each drone required its own pilot.

[@MotoCampAdventure]

Also wondering this. Would be surprised if he answers. I get that these are 95% automated and could practically do everything with a push of a button, so I don't necessarily agree with the law as it is.

[@airleclair]

With the U.S. Governments hard on for wanting to ban DJI, what would this do to your business if they do ban DJI?

[@nuWayAg]

Spray drones will always be a thing. XAG and Helios are so bad compared to DJI it would be a big setback for sure

[@airleclair]

@@nuWayAg Maybe you'll be able to get an AG exemption? Hope so.

[@thatguy7085]

No… only for government use. Not private. DJI still OK for civilian use.

[@janbastein7355]

What is DJI ?

[@icemanluke1]

​@janbastein7355 one of the biggest drone companies in the game

[@joshvanzeeland8324]

Hey where didnyou go to get this set up ??

[@RamblingsofJT]

An 802 air tractor does in a day what a trailer of drones does in a month. An 802 is spraying at 160kts and hauling 6,000 lbs per load. Here in the MS delta, a drone wouldn't last a week.

[@tombishop7246]

You probably should mention they need a part 137 certificate and, in most states, a commercial applicator license is required, both of which are a pain in the ass, especially the 137 certificate.

[@nuWayAg]

It is a pain to get. Both good and bad. Bad because it’s quite the process. Good because it weeds out guys who don’t want to deal with the hassle

[@hotpass79]

That’s cool shit

[@brandonm6052]

I'm a professional farm manager in Nebraska and I'm currently sending an email to a local guy to have him spray off some CRP buffer strips so we can re-seed the CRP. One of my farmers runs a few with some kids and he said they are so booked they couldn't begin to get to it.

[@philipdoebele6912]

Where did you get the rubber straps to hold down the drones?

[@nuWayAg]

We sell them on our website

[@philipdoebele6912]

@@nuWayAg are they the "20" Beta Tie Down Strap"?

[@ddreuss]

Is that the AGRAS T50? I currently fly FPV. But this has intrigued me for a year. Not getting younger.

[@nuWayAg]

T40 here

[@ddreuss]

@@nuWayAg Aprx how much would you say a state up would be doing this?

[@farmingforthefuture5015]

How do you sync the two drones to know how far the other one ended and to avoid overlapping of chemicals, etc?

[@nuWayAg]

Split the field and assign a subfield to each drone

[@farmingforthefuture5015]

@@nuWayAg thank you very much. Can you maybe make a video about that in the future? Regards

[@charlesalberti563]

Whats a ball park number needed to get started with this?

[@Ian_Laing]

Why the heck are there so much haters for this amazing thing.

[@nuWayAg]

Maybe airplane pilots lol

[@joshvanzeeland8324]

How many acres can you spray before needing refill?

[@1lifeonearth]

Subscribed! What do you think the absolute minimum setup would be for the smallest possible setup, for like 100 acres max per day. could i start a business with 1 T50, 1 extra battery, one crappy small trailer pulled by a RAV4, and 1 tiny Honda 664240 EU2200i 2200 Watt Portable Inverter Generator, and a 275 gallon IBC tote tank, gravity fed? Do you think something like this could get the job done? lol

[@nuWayAg]

I think he would be able to do 100 acres a day with something like that. You would quickly get frustrated at the money you’re leaving on the table, and do everything you can to save up and buy a proper rig though :-)

[@davidbenes580]

At least get a bigger generator. With that little gen your battery charge times will be 30 min or longer.

[@showme360]

You need a Ford Lighting mate, with all the energy you need for that rig, dump those ennies and hock up some solar on the open deck you those drones are sitting on man.

[@nuWayAg]

It's a good idea but the amount of power these generators pull to charge batteries doesn't work with any electric truck - we've tried it.

[@cassieshepherd1377]

honestly this would be a great application for a single 15kwh battery, 15k sol ark inverter, and a few solar panels. could plug in to recharge at night if needed. otherwise you'd easily run all that stuff. all electric motors to pump. easy swap no gas.

[@nuWayAg]

The amount of juice these batteries need is crazy.

[@SlackerU]

You don't work in a place were noise is an issue but you could have 3, 4, or 5 walls of noise-panel to greatly reduce the noise of the generators without encasing them. I too am often confused as to why they're not quieter than a Honda-civic or Toyota-corolla. Video idea, possibly a profitability video comparing the T40 to the T50 & future T60. Seems like there should be charts that show how many acres per chemical % is possible per drone.... things like that. Maybe there aren't enough viewers for that type of info, I'm no YT'ber.

[@nuWayAg]

Generators put off lots of heat so you couldn’t enclose them completely. From up top the flight deck you can have a normal conversation

[@nuWayAg]

T60 is huge compared to the others. T50 and t40 less of a difference. We will definitely do a review and comparison

[@1lifeonearth]

because a Honda civic has a giant muffler attached to it

[@austindouglas13]

Ive been a pesticide applicator in Michigan for 11 years. I have no idea if the dept of ag would allow me to do this even if i passed my aerial exam. How did the dept of ag work for you? Were you a crop dusting pilot before drones?

[@nuWayAg]

Get your applicators license (core) and then aerial on top of that. Not that hard to pass

[@austindouglas13]

@nuWayAg here in Michigan we need two years of experience performing applications under a licensed firm before we can get a business license to apply under those categories. I own and operate a Mosquito control, plant health care, and invasive species remediation company. Been Certified and licensed for 11 years. I just don't see how our dept of ag would approve me doing something like this unless I worked for a company for two years. Which, let's be honest, is very difficult to do when you run your own company.

[@blewis66112]

My kind of job. Where do I apply?

[@farmerjimmy7453]

Really cool setup would it be safer to have a rail all around the trailer

[@nuWayAg]

No - would make landing area extremely unsafe. More things for props to hit

[@nuWayAg]

There is a safety wire along the center of the trailer. You can wear a safety harness

[@philiptinggaard]

Hello, Currently, in Denmark, it is not permitted to use drones for spraying, only for mapping, due to several reasons. One of the main reasons is the increased risk of drift of spray liquid. How do you handle drift, or how do you minimize the risk of drift? Because one can see in the video that there is some drift of the spray liquid following the drone spraying. - Philip

[@nuWayAg]

Do you use airplanes or helicopters in Denmark? Only ground rigs?

[@philiptinggaard]

@@nuWayAg only tracktor and spayer. It is not allowed to spray from the air.

[@goodeorganics]

Great setup mate. Im guessing the technology is still not their for spreading lime, gypsum etc.

[@nuWayAg]

Can spread liquid or dry seed

[@goodeorganics]

Yep or prilled fertiliser products. I hope your business continues to grow!

[@matthewhamel7192]

Can they get lower?

[@kevinratynski3343]

What are the max gallons per acre? Onions need large amounts of chemicals per.

[@nuWayAg]

With the t50 you can add two more sprayers for a total of 4. If you are doing over ten gallons per acre you can always do multiple passes

[@ryanhayward7392]

Where did you get the trailer from? Custom built?

[@nuWayAg]

We manufacture and sell them 😎

[@blee04524]

Omg this is so cool. I dont even own a drone but i love watching vids about them😂 I admit i was a bit skeptical of how useful these agricultural drones actually are so its awesome to see them actually put into commercial use

[@nuWayAg]

It’s the future for sure

[@zbcochran1]

What was your total startup cost for your equipment, including the trailer?

[@nuWayAg]

Around 110k

[@zbcochran1]

@@nuWayAg Thank you! Looks like you really have things figured out, great job!

[@grinningtiki220]

Can these handle compost tea?

[@nuWayAg]

Not sure. Would be interesting to see. What’s your application?

[@garrethatchard2132]

Are your drones able to communicate with each other? Would the drones be aware of the coverage other drones have done?

[@nuWayAg]

You just assigned them to different fields, so there’s no way that they can enter the same airspace. You have to be careful when they’re going to the field or returning to the field as they may cross another field when they’re in route.

[@garrethatchard2132]

@@nuWayAg good to know! Do you use the dji smart farm app?

[@nuWayAg]

@@garrethatchard2132 yes we use the app

[@bowen3602]

What are your thoughts on the DJI Ban in the US?

[@nuWayAg]

Probably won’t happen and even if it does the quickest it’ll be here is two years

[@dandersen464]

What is it you are spraying

[@rw9866]

As a drone owner what do those drones cost? WOW would love to have one of those!

[@nuWayAg]

Visit our website - www.nuwayag.com

[@MURD3R3D]

Don't let OSHA see that trailer with no fall arrest system haha

[@nuWayAg]

We added a safety line

[@Buckaroo801]

Where can one buy that set up??

[@nuWayAg]

Our website 😉

[@AngryHoplite]

This is so awesome! Makes you want to start your own business. Unfortunately my Country doesnt have a huge market for this kind of Service :D

[@rednose1966]

What is your country

[@AngryHoplite]

@@rednose1966 Germany

[@dronevision7664]

Awesome work. I'm a drone Pilot to. I'm sprayed corn and sugar cane in Colombia. I fly a segurity drones, got 2000 hours of fly times, and 20,000 kilometers of travel. If You need a second Pilot Wil be awesome for me...thanks...good job

[@LordWolfFPV]

Would be interested. I'm just curious how big of a business loan would one need and what happens if your in an area of restricted airspace?😊

[@nuWayAg]

100k - right around airports is tough a process but it’s a pain

[@LordWolfFPV]

@nuWayAg how does your program work? Do I have to start my business under the nuwayag name or can I start my own? I live in an excellent area, surrounded with a lot of crops. I may take the leap.

[@iancollXIX]

Can you fly them in strong winds I'm form the UK and looking to start one of these business

[@Skyhi.Visuals]

So fucking cool !!! I do drone videos for construction companies! Mavic 3 pro . These drones are fucking next level

[@Ballentyne817]

What chemicals are you spraying ?

[@saidzueke4782]

Cancer

[@dopekid372853]

Any one in the dfw area that can teach me this

[@ShowLocalTV]

Great setup... As a design engineer I can say the trailer looks awesome... Have you thought about tree branches coming in contact with the drones?

[@coreym5072]

What do you charge for a job like this?

[@tjn2254]

How many months out of the year are you busy spraying

[@w.e.s.]

Probably like 1 weekend out of the year. This is just a hobby and for rich people to play.

[@SlackerU]

I'd like to see that calendar too. Spring fertilizer, hunting season animal-searches, possible winter seed spreading... how does he fill in profits for 52 weeks of the year.

[@w.e.s.]

@@SlackerU nobody makes a livin with drones. They don't even pay for themselves. I tried that bc I flew drones for years for a hobby. Tried to make some money doing it and that was a joke. The prices of competitors is so high its cheaper to buy a drone for use 1 time and throw it away or sell it. Everybody started seeing that and let me tell you if you can stay busy longer then 3 days out of a year your lieing. It's a rich man's hobby job to get out of the house. Nothing more

[@SlackerU]

@@w.e.s. My breakdown doesn't profit either. Flying my mini costs $1.34 per flight, the 99mph FPV costs $0.25 per minute in lithium degradation. If the batteries were 75% cheaper per cycle then there is profits I think.

[@davidmonahan6484]

@@w.e.s. hmm 12,000 acres at $17 an acre with 2 T40s... There is lots of money to be made.. looking to step up to close to 20k acres this year.

[@aspiritsmechanic19]

How much is startup?

[@nuWayAg]

Less than 100k

[@Aluttuh]

Yay more forever chemicals... If you spread that hay on a garden for mulch say goodbye to your harvest

[@tylerk.7947]

I feel like you are poised to become huge. I think this will be an exploding industry

[@nuWayAg]

Not just us, but many of the people investing in this technology around the country will be winners.

[@farmermatt629]

I like everything but the spray pattern