The sky’s the limit: Cle Elum drone pilot says improved battery tech key to opening up drones for ag use

YAKIMA — Bill Kuper didn’t originally set out to spray crops. “I flew my first drone over 10 years ago now for video and photo, because my background is actually technical, but in video and media,” he said. “And that’s when I first started flying.” It was a hot August morning on a wetland alongside the Yakima River. Kuper, the owner of Ag Drones Northwest, was there to demonstrate how an uncrewed aerial vehicle – what most people call a drone – can revolutionize routine operations like pesticide application and spraying fertilizer. His mechanical companion was a drone he calls Big Agnes.