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The Drone Network explores how drones are reshaping the world. Hosted by Bryce Bladon, the podcast documents the tech, economics and people piloting the world's largest standardized drone imagery network.
# VIDEO S2E02 - The different kinds of work for drone pilots \| Benji Nevatt of Bluegrass Dronography
**Bryce Bladon:** [00:00:00] Welcome to The Drone Network, the only podcast in the air and on the airwaves. I am your host, Bryce Bladen, and on this show we document the tech, economics and people piloting the world's largest standardized drone imagery network. Each episode we explore how drones are reshaping industries, creating new economic opportunities, and literally changing how we see the world.
## Introduction to Benji of Bluegrass Dronography
**Bryce Bladon:** On today's episode, I talk about. What it's actually been like being a drone pilot for the past decade. Today's guest is Benji Nevatt , AKA Bluegrass Dronography. Benji's been running a drone business in far Western Kentucky for two years at the time of this episode's recording. He's also been licensed since 2017 when he worked as a drone operator for the police department.
He flew his first flights with the Spexi app on the Layer Drone Network in May, 2025 and now, I am so fortunate to have him as a guest on today's show. Benji, thank you so much for joining me today.
**Benji Nevatt:** Thanks for having me, Bryce. How are you?
**Bryce Bladon:** Quite well. What I am really excited about though, is [00:01:00] learning more about what you've been doing with drones for the better part of a decade.
Maybe you can give us a quick overview.
**Benji Nevatt:** Yeah, for sure. I've, I've been in, uh, worked for a police department for about 10 years and we started a drone program when I was in that department and we we were able to get a, uh, a DJ I drone, uh, if you can remember, inspire two, those big old honking things. And so I was asked to, uh, learn how to fly it and learn how to use it and, uh, actually use it for the department.
And I got study for the part 1 0 7. I became pretty proficient in it and I was, uh, detached to our SWAT team at the time and helping them out with missions. And what I would do with that would be, I would fly it when they got called out. Uh, look at perimeters, look at suspects. Um, we had thermal imagery on it as well.
So I was able to see, um, and communicate [00:02:00] that back to our. Our squad leaders and be able to help them out, um, so they know exactly what was going ahead or going on ahead of time. Also, we used it for patrol use and when suspects would run away from police and we would set up perimeters, be able to fly that drone up and be able to throw the thermal cameras on it as well.
And also we did, uh, surveillance throughout the time I was there. With special operations on people. And so we gotta use it quite a bit in, um, our department. And it kind of grew from there. And then back in 2024, I finally got back into the, uh, industry and created a new business for myself and started that up in February of 2024 and became Bluegrass Dronography since then.
**Bryce Bladon:** Very interesting. So if I'm understanding that right, you were sort of the, uh, the catalyst for, for drones in your police department. Is that correct?
**Benji Nevatt:** Yes, uh, that was [00:03:00] correct. We, and along another officer of mine, uh, that worked with me, we both were, uh, the operators for that program and we were able to work with that, uh, drone.
The best we could. And then that's when I believe the micro or the Mavic started coming out. The smaller ones, that little bit less cons, you can conceal it better. And compared to the big 'ol Inspire two floating above, you're kind of hard to stay unnoticed with that thing.
**Bryce Bladon:** Yeah, I was gonna say it's the real era where they went from small helicopters to uh, consumer toys.
**Benji Nevatt:** Right.
## Why Benji is interested in drone work
**Bryce Bladon:** But what got you interested in drones? Because you have a very storied history with them. I find most people have either touched drones 15 years ago or are getting into drones now. There are very few that, um, I see having a decade of experience to pull from. Admittedly, we're flexing on that last year, but...
**Benji Nevatt:** Yeah, I think that what I've seen throughout the decade is the technology that has advanced in the drone industry, [00:04:00] and I, I'm, I'm embracing it and utilizing it and, um, I, I really think it's interesting to see how they have evolved from years before to what it is now and what you can do with. Drones in this industry, there's so many areas of, uh, expertise you can have and the use cases for drones.
And, um, that's, that's what's exciting me about just being in business for myself as well. 'cause I can reach out to a lot of different clients.
**Bryce Bladon:** Let's, uh, let's talk about that. You're based in Western Kentucky Bluegrass Dronography. What's your niche? What do you typically work with clients on?
**Benji Nevatt:** Well, currently what I do a lot is I've it's done commercial and residential. Real, real estate. I've worked with, uh, insurance companies doing roof inspections as well, and I am doing small business marketing now with clients, making aerial video for their business, um, [00:05:00] showcasing what they can offer from the sky and adding some ground features as well ground video with, um clients.
**Bryce Bladon:** Alright, so 2017, flying drones with the police, 2024, uh, flying drones for yourself for a variety of clients, real estate, roof mapping, things of that effect.
## Benji's first missions on the Spexi app
**Bryce Bladon:** What convinced you to fly your first missions on the Spexi app? Geez, almost a year ago in May, 2025. What were you hoping to learn or gain?
**Benji Nevatt:** Yeah, so I heard about Spexi about a year ago, um, from, I don't remember exactly who I heard it from, but I heard about this company and started looking into it and seeing the geo. Spatial imagery, um, advancements that's happening lately with drones. And when I saw that Spexi can offer a low cost drone to, to use a low cost drone, be able to fly into a zone and map a certain part of a section of a town or city and be able to see it fly by itself.
It just amazed [00:06:00] me because I never done anything autonomous yet in my career as a drone pilot. And so seeing that the app and the how it just works and how it flies, how it takes pictures, it just amazed me because I haven't gotten into that sector of technology yet,
**Bryce Bladon:** I would be really interested in, in how it compares with, say, like a, a client project for, for folks listening who maybe haven't flown with the Spexi app before.
Basically what you do, you have the app, you have your drone, you have your drone controller. You go to a Spexigon, a hexagon with a mission on it. You load up the app, you turn it on. Then your drone takes off. Uh, as a pilot, you are responsible for monitoring that drone as it autonomously flies itself. To map the Spexigon, depending on wind conditions, takes about seven, nine minutes, uh, thereabouts before it lands itself.
And once you upload that data, you get rewarded, uh, according to the, the mission details. Usually some, always some points and something to that effect. And by comparison, [00:07:00] oh, and one little thing to add, which is, uh benji brought up, which is the Spexi app, works with the most popular consumer drone, the DJI, mini 2, 3, 4, uh, and four pro... I I might be missing a pro in there, excuse me. Um, but I am curious on Benji's side, especially as somebody who in 2017 was working with a drone that more closely resembled it, unmanned helicopter than perhaps, uh, what we typically think of drones today.
## How Spexi differs from typical drone work for clients
**Bryce Bladon:** Um, how do those missions differ from your typical client work?
What's the experience like? What's the drone like?
**Benji Nevatt:** Yeah, so using a smaller drone. It's been a lot easier for me to get in little spaces where I need to. Um, it also with the Spexi app, it's just, it's undetectable, it seems like up in the sky. It compared to a big old helicopter drone... people don't notice this stuff in the sky and they're, they're taking multiple pictures and they are capturing that data that is needed for whatever [00:08:00] city or location you're in, and it's just gonna be very useful in the, the industry going forward. I, I believe this is gonna be a technology and a, a company that's gonna advance a lot of other city governments. It's gonna. You know, benefit construction gonna benefit telecommunications. Natural disasters is, it's been awesome to see in the last year since I've known about Spexi now.
**Bryce Bladon:** Really great to hear. And uh, to provide some context on, on something you were saying there, for any folks who maybe haven't seen the difference between, uh, what I'd refer to as a T 100 style drone that looks like a helicopter.
## Why Spexi flies small drones so high in the sky
**Bryce Bladon:** And, uh, these DJI minis we're referring to, I happen to live near a police station in a police training area. Uh, and as a result of that, I do get a lot of the, uh, let's call them low flying drones of, of a variety of shapes and sizes nearby. Um, the point of comparison is, uh, when you fly a mission with a Spexi app, it's autonomous, but it's also, uh, perhaps [00:09:00] partially as a result of that, highly standardized.
So the drones fly at a very specific height from the ground, I believe. Oh gosh, sorry. Meters to feet suddenly caught me. This is the border issue, um, but I was gonna say 260, 280 feet. It's in the documentation. Regardless, it's a very specific height for a few reasons which come to one: the drones aren't visible and or annoying to people at that height.
You can't hear the buzz when it's over 200 feet. Uh, two. You can't capture people's faces at that height. You can see crowds, things of that effect. But three, you can still capture high resolution data, things like cracks in the floor, basically, uh, good enough to see problems, not good enough to invade privacy, which is that sweet spot, especially with a standardized imagery set.
And a lot of the problems around, uh, privacy at the scale have been, I don't wanna say effectively solved, but effectively solved by companies like Google Maps that have figured out how to blur people out on a public data set and things of that effect. Uh, things LLMs are actually quite good at. But that is for folks wondering why, uh, Benji might be somewhat interested in a drone that, uh, nearly hums as opposed to one [00:10:00] that, uh, booms, bombs and looks incredibly intimidating in the sky.
I, I think it's fascinating, uh, the difference between the two, but. Let's bring it back to you, Benji. I'm getting sick of the sound of my voice. You've been running your business on, I assume, traditional payment rails since you've, uh, made it two years ago. And as a Spexi pilot, if you've flown the paid mission, you've probably been paid cash.
## What Benji thinks about getting paid in tokens instead of cash
**Bryce Bladon:** Something that I think is worth discussing is something that, uh, LayerDrone and Spexi are planning to do this year, which is moved to, uh, a token system, IE paying people with a token, obviously a big change, tokens instead of cash. What was your reaction? What are your concerns? What are your. Well leave it there.
**Benji Nevatt:** Yeah. So at, at first, I haven't been able to figure out much about cryptocurrency yet in this industry, but as time goes on, since say last, probably last February, I'm, I'm learning about crypto and tokens and how that's works. And I, I believe this is gonna definitely be the way of the future, um, [00:11:00] for pilots to get paid for their contributions to this network.
I'm excited about it. I'm still learning more and more about it every day, every week, looking at stuff in the cryptocurrency level, but I think it's gonna be a good thing. It's gonna allow other pilots from other countries to be able to do this kind of work in the future and get paid for it.
**Bryce Bladon:** Absolutely.
**Benji Nevatt:** And it's gonna be neat.
**Bryce Bladon:** For sure. And just, uh, for context for our listeners, uh, Spexi and the LayerDrone Network, highly active in Canada and the US right now, there are even some Spexigons that have been flown on very specific circumstances in Europe, particularly, uh, London, I believe. Don't quote me on that as I'm not sure how much of that is public information, but if you look at explorer.spexi.com, you can find them for yourselves.
But that is just to say when it comes to crypto technology, the things it's good for. For context 2017, this was my space and the definition of what it's good for has never changed in my mind. Allow two people to trade value with no one in the middle. And as far as the use cases for that, the [00:12:00] ones that I've always pointed to, cross-border payments, trying to scale contributor contributions to the actual value they create, um, and things of that effect now functionally and I, I, I think this is, uh, why it's an important question to ask. It is gonna be a point of friction for people. It is something different and we're obviously hoping for the best and planning for the best and honestly planning a little bit for the worst to try and make it as much of a best possible situation regardless.
But I digress. It's gonna be a change and uh... we have thousands of pilots on the network now, which makes change very scary. But, uh, it's part of the reason why I am trying to talk to people who actually fly drones as part of their business, who actually contribute to the network and can actually give candid responses.
So, Benji, I really appreciate it. I do have one more question for you. Uh, if you have time.
**Benji Nevatt:** Go for it.
**Bryce Bladon:** Well, one more official question, I might have a few less official ones after, but, uh, all right.
## How has US drone policy and regulation affected Benji's business in 2025?
**Bryce Bladon:** So been a lot of developments in the US over the past, I was gonna say year, but even just the past few months, there's a ban on new DJI devices, which account for roughly [00:13:00] 90% of drones in the us There's new rules that block drone flights, near ice vehicles.
Um, and on the flip side, beyond visual line of sight approval for flying multiple drones and, uh, the part 1 0 8 license, I believe those are all just developments over the past few months. And I'm. Curious as a, a person who operates a drone as a business, are you excited, concerned about any of these developments?
How do you see them affecting you?
**Benji Nevatt:** You know, I think the DJI's, it's been the standard for drone industry ever since I've been in this space. That's all I know is DJI and having less, not having in, in the us. To come in, add new technology. I, I see that as a concern in my business because I, I use DJI drones.
I, I don't use any other type of drone and it is concerning me a little bit about getting, um, those parts, those, those newest drones that come out, uh, not having that for my clients and not being able to be able to give that [00:14:00] data to the customers because I don't have the newest and updated version of that DJI drone, um, in my arsenal, you could say.
And so I'm, I'm a little concerned, but. I think throughout time it's probably gonna be lifted and we're gonna see hopefully a change in the industry soon where we can have all the drones come back into the US and utilize them because this industry is very untapped still. I believe there's so much money out there, so much use cases for, and limiting what we can use for work is it's gonna, it's gonna affect a lot of small businesses like mine.
But I think in the long run it's gonna, it's gonna work it out.
**Bryce Bladon:** I'm happy to hear that. Benji. Um, I'm gonna, I'm gonna ask you that same question in here. I'm gonna hope your answer comes to fruition because that's the future I'd really like to see. We only have five more minutes left. Um, but I'm not sure I even warned you about this.
## Drone or don't: which is the lie?
**Bryce Bladon:** Do you have time for our popular hit segment [00:15:00] drone, or don't? Where I will share three interesting facts about drones. One is a lie. You tell me which one it is to win.
**Benji Nevatt:** All right.
**Bryce Bladon:** Alright. Also, you should know I did this game with Graham and he failed miserably. Although, to be fair, I always make it about something other than drones, like it's drones in X or like drones in movies.
And it turns out like Graham knows drones. He does not know drones in popular films.
All right, fun fact number one. The world's fastest drone is faster than a Formula One car, and about 70 miles per hour slower than a commercial airliner at cruising speed. That's number one.
Number two, drones are used to collect whale blow IE whale snot, uh, to study whale health without disturbing them. Basically, they swoop in when whales go in the middle of the ocean. Uh, this is a podcast. I'm doing a lot of stuff on camera that is incredibly embarrassing. You will just have to use your mind's eye.
This brings me to fun fact number three. The first autonomous drone was built in 1206 AD by [00:16:00] al-Jazari Uh, for this, for the record, autonomous drone able to fly itself?
Uh, not necessarily literal robotics. Okay. Fact, one, two, or three. Which ones drone and which ones don't?
**Benji Nevatt:** Hmm. I think the number two. I think number two, the whale.
**Bryce Bladon:** You think number two, drones aren't used to collect whale snot.
**Benji Nevatt:** Yep.
**Bryce Bladon:** Alright. There a drum roll in the edit. Let's hope there is, and if not, boy do I sound stupid.
## An unsolicited history of drones
**Bryce Bladon:** Unfortunately it's number three. The first autonomous drone was not built in 1206 AD That was actually, and to be fair. It was a programmable automaton. It's the world's first robot effectively, and it served drinks in different sequences. Uh, um, but fun fact, the first actual drone, as it were, the first pilotless aircraft was 200 unmanned balloon bombers used by Austria to attack Venice uh, in 1849. They were, uh, they lit some timed fuses. Pushed them all up in the air, primarily off the ground. A [00:17:00] few of them off a boat named the volcano, uh, which became a very ironic name when the wind pushed them back. Um, one landed in Venice, more landed on the boat and in Austria than ever landed in Venice.
Um, so the first application of drones and drone warfare happened at once and it didn't go well. Um, just for added flavor. The aerial target, uh, British Radio controlled aircraft from the First World War would be the first drone to fly under human control, uh, in March, 1917. There's your drone history.
Benji, you did very well. You came very close. Thank you so much for playing our game and thank you so much for your time today. I really appreciate the time getting to chat and get to know you. How can our listeners follow up with you? How can they learn more about you? How can they, uh, check out bluegrass dronography?
**Benji Nevatt:** Yeah, so I have a website that's www.bluegrassdronography.com. Um, also on Facebook, on Instagram and TikTok. So please check it out if you have time.
**Bryce Bladon:** Excellent. Uh, we [00:18:00] will make sure that those are in the show notes as well. Uh, thank you again for your time, Benji, and thank you all for listening.
Thanks for being a part of the Drone Network.
Subscribe wherever fine podcasts are served. To get a new episode every week and remember to leave us a five star review on your podcast app of choice, it helps a lot. Today's show was sponsored by Spexi Geospatial and LayerDrone. Learn more about standardized drone imagery built for global scale at Spexi.com.
That's SPEXI.com and LayerDrone.org. Thanks again for listening.