By Andy Furman
NKyTribune staff writer
Todd Prince lost his very first drone. “I purchased a micro drone several years ago,” the 50-year-old resident of Corinth, told the Northern Kentucky Tribune, “and I lost it on my first try.”
He says he was fascinated by it – so he tried again. “I wanted a bigger one this time,” he said. “And guess what – I crashed it.”
Next, he wanted a custom drone. “They go for about $4-$5,000,” he said. So, he figured he better learn how to repair them – and better yet – learn how to make one.
He did both.
How?
“Well,” he said quite sheepishly, “It just came naturally. Believe it or not,” he continued, “Anything electric is just about the same – be it a radio or a drone.”
Prince started selling drones, just to pay for his own parts. “The demand was unreal. I couldn’t keep up. And this was on e-bay,” he said. “When Covid hit, I had to shut it all down. With people getting those stimulus checks, well, I couldn’t keep up with the demand.”
And, Todd Prince and his drones are certainly in demand.
He is the owner and chief operator of King Drones – yes, based in Corinth – and has partnered with PNI – a California-based defense contractor to train as well as create an AI model to correct GPS interference in military drones.
“I did send some to Ukraine,” he said. “Just the parts; it is cheaper that way.”
Ukraine has produced 4.5 million drones domestically and this excludes the millions of drones bought from established companies, according to Droneing Company Magazine.
The problem with using drones, the publication reports, however, is their reliance on the Global Positioning System, or GPS, and the ease with which the GPS signal can be interfered. The government website gps.gov explains that GPS relies on “Radio signals in frequencies reserved for radio navigation services.” These signals can be distorted by nearby frequencies or weather in space, but they can also be jammed intentionally.
Wait a minute, Mr. Prince. How did you learn about all this?
“Well, I went to school in Corinth, attended Grant County High School then joined the military,” he said. “But actually, I taught myself. I was just so intrigued with drones.”
He repairs and builds custom drones, but also helps with project to local and national organizations.
“I sold a drone to the University of Kentucky Agriculture Department,” he said. “The cameras on the drones can easily examine their crops much better than the human eye.”
King Drones has contributed to the first two seasons of the History Channel series – Beyond Skinwalker Ranch through Terra Exploration Group.
He said he also helped the Corinth water district find leaks from pipes that were frozen.
King Drones offers light painting systems with LEDs.
And don’t forget the Drone Racing league.
“King Drones sponsors a professional pilot,” Prince said. “Some of those pilots in the league earn more than NASCAR drivers.”
Racing drones are capable of 130 miles-per-hour and can be as large as seven-feet across.
The average drone, according to Prince can fit in your hand, and weigh about 20 pounds.
“Some, he said, “can lift you in the air.”
Prince says he works from home.
“I recently bought a shed, as my new shop, And waiting for it to be delivered,” he said. “It’ll be outside my house.
“My business is bigger, so I need the expansion. But not big enough to afford a bigger section of land.”
All of King Drones work is custom and prices range from about $100 to $100,000.
“I just sold two drones for $38,000,” he said. “I’ll tell customers it takes about 30 days to build one, but probably not that long.”
But there is one thing Prince hasn’t done – at least yet —with drones.
“I haven’t sold anyone a drone in Grant County.”