I discovered my passion for drones in 2017. What kept me in the industry was not the flying — it was watching good equipment sit idle because nobody nearby could fix it, or because the operator was never properly trained on it in the first place.

That is the reason UADS represents one manufacturer rather than a catalogue. ABZ Innovation designs, manufactures and assembles in Europe, and gives us direct access to the engineers and technicians who build the platforms. In March I spent a week at their headquarters in Hungary completing expert certifications — the certificates matter less than the time on the floor with the people who know these airframes inside out.

Alongside that, we work closely with David and the team at Do Drones NZ, our fellow ABZ distributor across the Tasman. Two small markets sharing parts, training and field results makes both of us more useful to the growers and contractors who rely on us.

So the offer is deliberately narrow. We supply ABZ platforms, we train the people who will fly them, we service them here, and we fly contract work ourselves so stay current on what these machines actually do in an Australian season.