David Crabtree on Drones, Search and Rescue, and Business Lessons

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I talk with David Crabtree about drones, business, and what it takes to build something new in West Virginia. David runs Appalachian UAV Academy and works to bring drone technology into industries like public safety, search and rescue, rural health care, delivery, and commercial cleaning. His passion is using drones to find missing people faster so families can get loved ones home safe. We also talk about the hard lessons of entrepreneurship. David learned not to buy equipment before the market is ready and calls those mistakes part of paying the “ignorance tax.” He makes a strong point that business is not just about big ideas. It is about doing the boring work over and over until it starts to pay off. David believes drones are not toys. They are flying robots that can collect data, reduce risk, and solve problems across West Virginia and beyond.