Heinen Brothers Agra Services
Established aerial application company, parent of Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems. Bridging traditional ag aviation with drones.
Founded in 1994, Heinen Brothers Agra Services has built a Illinois and Louisiana drone pesticide and fungicide spraying practice covering Row Crops. From a Seneca base, the crew covers Illinois and Louisiana growers inside the Corn Belt region. Any operator running commercial pesticide passes over Illinois fields holds FAA Part 137 alongside the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA) aerial-applicator credential.
Operations are based in the Corn Belt region.
Services offered
Pricing context for the crops Heinen Brothers Agra Services services
Typical 2026 per-acre rates for drone spraying by crop, based on US ag drone industry data. Contact the operator for a quote on your specific fields.
- Drone spraying for row crops$12 to $22 per acre
Crops serviced
Equipment used
Certifications & compliance
States served (2)
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 Heinen Brothers Agra Services's service area:
- Illinois — Any commercial drone spray over Illinois fields needs Aerial General Standards (replaces Core exam) + site categories, issued by Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA).
- Louisiana — requires Category 11: Aerial Applicator + Aerial Owner Operator License for aerial pesticide application; the licensing authority is Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF).
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 Heinen Brothers Agra Services's service area.
Frequently asked questions
Heinen Brothers Agra Services should carry three credentials before any commercial pesticide application by drone in Illinois: 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 Illinois the state credential is issued by Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA); 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 is application-only — the chemical itself, surfactants and adjuvants are usually farmer-supplied. The rate covers calibration, RTK GPS flight planning, the labor to fly the field, mixing and loading from the supplied product, and the FIFRA Part 170 application record (date, time, product, EPA reg number, rate, weather, field ID). Watch for travel surcharges past a stated radius, weekend or emergency-turnaround premiums, terrain or obstruction add-ons, and any minimum-acreage floor on small fields. Confirm in writing.
Request a quote from Heinen Brothers Agra Services
Tell Heinen Brothers Agra Services about your fields. They reply within 24 hours, often faster during spray season. Free, no obligation, and you can also ask for 2 more quotes from verified operators in Illinois to compare.
- Goes directly to Heinen Brothers Agra Services, not a call center.
- 3 quotes max if you broaden, never more. We never sell your info.