Mast Aerial Services
Founded by former Corteva Agriscience drone pilot with pear and cherry farming family in Sacramento Delta region
Mast Aerial Services is a California drone applicator covering aerial field mapping on row crops grown in the region in the California region. The team operates out of Sacramento Delta and serves farms throughout the California region. California requires both a federal Part 137 ag aircraft operator certificate and an CDPR (CalEPA)-issued aerial-category pesticide applicator license for any commercial spray.
Operations are based in the California region.
Services offered
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 Mast Aerial Services's service area:
- California — requires CDPR Unmanned Pest Control Aircraft Pilot Certificate for aerial pesticide application; the licensing authority is CDPR (CalEPA).
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 Mast Aerial Services's service area.
Frequently asked questions
Mast Aerial Services should carry three credentials before any commercial pesticide application by drone in California: 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 California the state credential is issued by CDPR (CalEPA); 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.