Bestway Ag (Hiawatha)
Physical retail location in Hiawatha, KS. Part of nation's largest brick-and-mortar ag drone dealer network.
Working row crops grown in the region across the Great Plains region, Bestway Ag (Hiawatha) delivers drone sales to farms in Kansas. Commercial drone applicators in Kansas need FAA Part 137 plus an aerial category endorsement on a state pesticide applicator license issued by Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA).
Operations are based in the Great Plains region.
Services offered
Equipment used
States served (1)
Aerial pesticide licensing in states served
Every state requires a pesticide applicator license with the aerial category endorsement on top of FAA Part 137. The agencies that issue these licenses in Bestway Ag (Hiawatha)'s service area:
- Kansas: Any commercial drone spray over Kansas fields needs No single aerial category. Use-specific categories (1A/1B/1C/1D, 2, 3A/3B, 5, 6, 7C/7D, 10), issued by Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA).
Full agency, exam and renewal-cycle details by state are catalogued on the state pesticide licensing reference.
Verify and resources
Primary-source references for verifying credentials and looking up state-specific rules in Bestway Ag (Hiawatha)'s service area.
Frequently asked questions
Bestway Ag (Hiawatha) should carry three credentials before any commercial pesticide application by drone in Kansas: an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate for the pilot in command, an FAA Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate for the business and a state aerial-category pesticide applicator license. In Kansas the state credential is issued by Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA); you can ask the operator for the applicator license number and verify it with the agency directly. A current certificate of insurance with chemical drift coverage and the operator's Section 44807 exemption number are reasonable to request alongside the license itself.
Typical drone spraying rates of $12 to $22 per acre in the region breaks into three lines. You pay for the flying. That covers calibration, GPS-guided flight planning, the labor to fly the field and the mixing and loading of your product. It also covers the Part 170 record the law requires. You supply the pesticide and any adjuvants. Then come the extras: long travel, after-hours work, hard terrain and a minimum charge on a small field. Ask which of those land on your invoice before the operator schedules.