<p>Instantly gauge your drone program's maturity and get your growth roadmap. Download the FREE Assessment 👉<a href="https://bit.ly/droneprogram-maturity-assessment" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://bit.ly/droneprogram-maturity-assessment</a> </p><p>Ready for the Pro-Level? Sign up for our paid newsletter, The Drone Strategist, on Substack! 👉<a href="https://bit.ly/the-dronestrategist-newsletter" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://bit.ly/the-dronestrategist-newsletter</a></p><p>—————————————</p><p>In this episode, host <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsansouci/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Jason San Souci</strong></a> welcomes <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-kalaitzidis-508500103/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Peter Kalaitzidis</strong></a>, Senior Robotics and UAS Program Manager at the <a href="https://www.nypa.gov/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>New York Power Authority</strong></a> (NYPA). Peter brings years of hands-on expertise in drone operations, safety, and data management, and he breaks down how robotics is transforming utility inspections. Peter shares how NYPA is building a massive internal pilot program, investing $37 million in robotics through 2028, and why retaining institutional knowledge is their most powerful metric for success.</p><p><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Safety First:</strong> NYPA's top priority is safety, driven by the philosophy: "Risk the machine, not the person."</p></li><li><p><strong>The Power of Data:</strong> NYPA uses its proprietary Media Hub to classify hundreds of thousands of inspection photos, building the foundation for asset-specific AI models.</p></li><li><p><strong>Human-Centric ROI:</strong> Success is measured by retaining expert employees for extra years, preserving invaluable institutional knowledge over simple cost savings.</p></li><li><p><strong>Program Scale:</strong> NYPA has trained over 146 internal employees, including pilots up to 70 years old, as drone operators.</p></li><li><p><strong>Controversial View:</strong> Peter argues against full automation ("Skynet" mentality), stressing that the "Human in the Loop" (SMEs) is always essential for complex inspection workflows.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Episode Highlights and Timestamps:</strong></p><p><strong>[00:00:00]</strong> - Introduction and opening questions for Peter Kalaitzidis </p><p><strong>[00:02:55]</strong> - <strong>Peter's Journey:</strong> From US Air Force veteran to leading the robotics program at the New York Power Authority</p><p> <strong>[00:04:54] - Program Scale: </strong>NYPA has successfully trained 146 internal drone pilots, including employees up to 70 years old </p><p><strong>[00:05:13] - Strategic Goals:</strong> The complex list of three priorities: Safety, Safety, Safety [00:06:05] - Safety Philosophy: Limiting risk by using the approach: "Risk the machine, not the person" </p><p><strong>[00:07:11] - NYPA's $37M Investment:</strong> Allocation of funds toward Asset Monitoring, Vegetation Management, and Emergency Response </p><p><strong>[00:10:12] - Data Management &amp; AI:</strong> How Media Hub is used to classify high-resolution images to create utility-specific AI models </p><p><strong>[00:14:50] - Measuring ROI:</strong> Discussing the "walk, crawl, run" mentality and focusing on preventative maintenance activities </p><p><strong>[00:17:40] - Human Success Metric:</strong> The story of the 68-year-old pilot who worked two extra years because of the drone program, saving invaluable institutional knowledge </p><p><strong>[00:20:28] - Controversial Topic:</strong> The argument for why "Human in the Loop" will always be essential and why full automation fails without SMEs</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Follow the Guest Peter Kalaitzidis:</strong></p><p>👉 LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-kalaitzidis-508500103/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-kalaitzidis-508500103/</a></p><p>👉 Company’s LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-york-power-authority/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-york-power-authority/</a></p><p>👉 Website: <a href="https://www.nypa.gov/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.nypa.gov/</a></p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Follow the Host Jason San Souci:</strong></p><p>👉 LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsansouci/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsansouci/</a></p><p><br /></p><p><strong>🔗 More from Do You Know Drones:</strong></p><p> 👉 <strong>Website</strong>: <a href="https://www.droneopsusa.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.droneopsusa.com</a> </p><p>👉<strong> LinkedIn:</strong> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/afe-advisor-llc/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/afe-advisor-llc/</a> </p><p>👉 <strong>Instagram</strong>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dykdrones/#" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/dykdrones/#</a> </p><p>👉 <strong>X(Twitter)</strong>: <a href="https://x.com/DronesDyk" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://x.com/DronesDyk</a> </p><p>👉 <strong>Email</strong>: [email protected]</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Follow the Podcast:</strong></p><p> 👉 <strong>Apple Podcast</strong>:<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/do-you-know-drones/id1479307112" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/do-you-know-drones/id1479307112</a> </p><p>👉 <strong>YouTube: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DoYouKnowDrones" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@DoYouKnowDrones</a></p><p><br /></p><p>#UtilityDrones #RoboticsInInspection #NYPA #DroneSafety #HumanInTheLoop #AssetManagement #UASProgram #DataClassification</p>