NAAA Operator Member Liam Zahm Interviewed by Farm Progress on the Future of Hybrid Aerial Application Operations

NAAA operator member Liam Zahm, of Zahm’s Aerial Enterprises in Marne, Michigan, was recently interviewed by Farm Progress on his perspective of applying chemicals with manned and unmanned equipment. At just 25 years old, he brings a young perspective on new technologies entering the industry.

Zahm sprays with a 1977 Grumman Ag Cat and a DJI T40 drone. In the article, Zahm discusses performance metrics, application efficiency, safety, economic factors, as well as the pros and cons of the aircraft and drone for aerial applications. Like many other ag pilots who operate hybrid equipment, Zahm agrees that drones are a tool to use in smaller fields and for certain other application conditions.

Zahm also touches on who should and shouldn’t operate a drone. “The industry suffers from knowledge gaps – often amateurs teaching amateurs without consulting experienced agricultural aviation professionals,” he says. 

Zahm is also the latest generation of a fourth-generation farming family of 2,000 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat while raising 200 head of beef at K&H Grain, alongside his father and uncle. Zahm participated in the NAAA/Syngenta Leadership Training Program in February 2025. Read the Farm Progress article here. The publication is distributed to over 80,000 farmers in North America.