Ask the Mechanic

Steve Thompson, Contributing Columnist

Farming is taking on a new piece of equipment: drones. The same farms once worked long ago by mules are now worked by drones. Although drones have been used for some time in police work, professional photography, security and gathering scientific data, farming with drones is a rather new approach to dodging Mother Nature and her tricks that keep machinery out of the field.

Local farmer Brad Lumpkins, of Lumpkins Farms, Leonard, Texas, recently hired Tri-County Ag Services LLC to spray his fields with a drone when the field was too muddy to run his big ground rig. When I asked him why he went with the expense of drone spraying, Brad was pretty straightforward. "You have to protect the crop," he said. Drones fly over the mud. Ronnie Lumpkins, Brad's father, remains amazed. "I never thought farming would come down to anything like flying a drone. Bet that drone would spook the mules that once farmed this land," he added.

There are safety issues when spraying with a drone because the spray is applied in a highly concentrated mix. It can drift and be inhaled. So, stay upwind when spraying fields to avoid exposure. Always wear protective clothing, and rinse your skin if you are exposed to drone spray.

Another issue is gunfire. If you see a drone flying around, day or night, know that it is illegal to shoot it down. That should be left unsaid, but just so you know: It is illegal to shoot down a drone under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. Drones are considered aircraft and are protected by federal law, including by the Aircraft Sabotage Act, which prohibits damaging or destroying aircraft.

Shooting down a drone can lead to significant penalties, including fines and up to 20 years in prison. That's in addition to state and local charges for offenses such as reckless endangerment or property damage. If you have an issue with a drone, document the incident -- with photos if you can -- and report it to local authorities or the FAA.

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-- Email Steve Thompson care of askthemechaniccolumn@gmail.com, and be sure to include your contact information and phone number.

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