Top Down Drone Services
Custom spray drone application across South Dakota.
Based in Aberdeen, Top Down Drone Services runs drone pesticide and fungicide spraying on row crops grown in the region for farms in South Dakota. South Dakota requires both a federal Part 137 ag aircraft operator certificate and an South Dakota DANR-issued aerial-category pesticide applicator license for any commercial spray.
Operations are based in the Great Plains 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 Top Down Drone Services's service area:
- South Dakota: aerial pesticide work runs through South Dakota DANR under Category 17: Aerial Application (General + Category G + Category 17).
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 Top Down Drone Services's service area.
Frequently asked questions
Verifying Top Down Drone Services runs through three independent checks: Part 107 via the FAA Airmen Inquiry, Part 137 via the issuing FAA Flight Standards office and the state aerial-category pesticide applicator license via the receiving state's department of agriculture. In South Dakota the state credential is issued by South Dakota DANR; you can ask the operator for the applicator license number and verify it with the agency directly. Pair that with a current chemical-drift COI and the Section 44807 exemption number for due diligence.
Typical drone spraying rates of $12 to $22 per acre in the region is application-only. The chemical, the surfactants and the adjuvants are farmer-supplied. The rate covers calibration, RTK GPS flight planning, the labor to fly the field, mixing and loading from your product, plus the FIFRA Part 170 application record: date, time, product, EPA reg number, rate, weather, field ID. Then watch four surcharges. Travel past a stated radius. Weekend or emergency turnaround. Terrain and obstruction add-ons. A minimum-acreage floor on a small field. Confirm every one of them in writing.