QUINCY, Ill. (AP) — As Greg Mitts guides an aerial drone over farm fields he creates more than just pictures. He can provide farmers with detailed data that can locate bug infestations, plant diseases and harvest indicators.

"We create a 3-D model of the field that lets the farmer turn and twist and look at things, down to a half-inch detail of the crop itself," Mitts said.

Mitts and his wife, Paige, founded Vision Quest in 2009. The couple, who split their time between Quincy and South Carolina, bought their first drone in 2013. Initially, they used the remote controlled aircraft to shoot vid...