Wilbur-Ellis UAS Solutions
Stated by the operator, not checked by us
Major ag retailer with 5M-acre annual application footprint; exclusive Guardian Agriculture SC1 eVTOL partnership; actively hiring drone pilots in CA
Founded in 1921, Wilbur-Ellis UAS Solutions has built a California, Oregon and Washington drone pesticide and fungicide spraying practice covering row crops grown in the region. Headquartered in Salinas, the operation reaches farms across the California region. Commercial drone applicators in California need FAA Part 137 plus an aerial category endorsement on a state pesticide applicator license issued by CDPR (CalEPA).
Operations are based in the California region.
Services offered
Crops serviced
Certifications & compliance
The operator told us each of these. Anything we matched against a public record is shown with the date we checked it, at the top of this page.
States served (3)
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 Wilbur-Ellis UAS Solutions's service area:
- California — aerial pesticide work runs through CDPR (CalEPA) under CDPR Unmanned Pest Control Aircraft Pilot Certificate.
- Oregon — Any commercial drone spray over Oregon fields needs Aerial Pesticide Applicator (APA) license, a separate standalone add-on., issued by Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA).
- Washington — aerial pesticide work runs through Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) under No standalone aerial category. Certify in relevant use category + Laws and Safety exam..
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 Wilbur-Ellis UAS Solutions's service area.
Frequently asked questions
Ask Wilbur-Ellis UAS Solutions for four documents to confirm credentials: the Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate number, the Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate, the state aerial-category pesticide applicator license, and a certificate of insurance carrying chemical drift coverage. 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. The Section 44807 exemption number is the fourth piece, applicable to any drone over 55 lbs gross weight.
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.