The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted a waiver early this year expanding the New York Power Authority’s ability for certified pilots to fly unmanned aircraft systems beyond the visual line of sight of the pilot in command, NYPA said on March 13.
FAA regulations require a pilot or observer to see the drone in flight. The change to a 4-to-1 operation, where one pilot can monitor up to four drones simultaneously, introduces a major shift in operational flexibility and efficiency.
This increased capability will streamline inspection processes, expedite data collection and bolster the Power Authority’s capacity to monitor its energy infrastructure across New York State. NYPA primarily uses drones to assess the health of its 1,550 miles of power transmission, its power generation assets and Canal Corporation infrastructure.
"The New York Power Authority is one of the first utilities in the nation to receive this expanded four to one waiver," said NYPA Robotics Program Manager Peter Kalaitzidis. "Conducting standardized four-drones-to-one-pilot operations at our sites will allow for more consistent inspection workflows across our energy assets and electric grid regions. We are currently creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and validating the technology to ensure we are fully prepared and have all safety protocols in place to implement expanded observation activities."
NYPA first received FAA approval to conduct remote drone operations in a limited capacity, allowing one drone per pilot, in 2022.
The existing drone operations have already proven instrumental in asset health monitoring, including the inspection of transmission lines, vegetation management, and dam spillway potential erosion mapping.
These operations enhance worker safety and significantly reduce the time required for inspections. Currently, 146 NYPA employees are certified as drone pilots. To further advance its utility operations, NYPA is investing more than $37 million in its drone program through 2028.
The new 4-1 operational model leverages fully autonomous missions, with drones flying predefined routes and patterns without continuous manual control. This autonomy allows for inspections during off-hours, such as overnight or in severe weather conditions, capturing critical thermal and visual data when asset conditions are most revealing. For instance, drones can effectively monitor infrastructure during ice storms or extreme cold, providing vital information that would be difficult to obtain otherwise.
The waiver was obtained with the help of Skydio, a U.S. drone and software manufacturer providing equipment and advisory services. The waiver authorizes operations through 2030 and is specific to Skydio drones.
“This latest approval enables a single operator to conduct up to four simultaneous missions, multiplying the safety and efficiency gains already achieved by the program and unlocking significant operational scale,” said Daniel Jenkins, Regulatory Program Manager, Skydio. “This milestone underscores the value of Skydio’s autonomy: putting machines in harm’s way instead of people, while delivering more reliable energy, and reducing response times for outages for all New Yorkers."
Autonomous operations enable continuous monitoring, automated alerts for abnormal conditions, and rapid escalation to staff only when intervention is necessary.
Beyond asset inspections, multi-drone operations facilitate persistent aerial security patrols, enhancing situational awareness and reducing risks to personnel. This capability collectively improves safety, standardization, resilience, and operational efficiency while allowing NYPA’s workforce to focus on critical decision-making rather than manual data collection.
Kalaitzidis noted that the program will be phased in over the next few years. NYPA plans to take the four of the drone systems to the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance, Inc. (NUAIR), which performs UAS testing and validation. Experts will meticulously evaluate processes, inspections, and standard operational procedures to ensure operational safety.
