Norfolk’s Go-To Drone Pilot Offers Unique Perspective 

By Grace Allen

Residents scrolling through social media or reading town updates may have noticed the occasional aerial image of Norfolk. Many of those images come from Andy Bakinowski, a longtime resident and drone pilot who volunteers his time and equipment to provide the town with images and information that can be difficult or costly to obtain from the ground.

Using his own drone, Bakinowski has photographed town projects, surveyed flooding and beaver activity, assisted with searches, and documented construction progress. The work is done quietly and at no cost to the town.

“I enjoy doing it,” he said. “It’s a good photo record, but it’s very informative too. It’s a different perspective on things.”

That perspective has proven useful. Drone technology allows users to gather information quickly and safely, potentially saving municipalities the expense of outside inspections.

“Drones are perfect applications for that,” Bakinowski said, noting that hiring contractors to inspect roofs or structures can be costly. “If the town had to hire somebody, that’d be three or four thousand dollars just to go and look.” 

Mill River flooding near Bay State Correctional, captured by Bakinowski in 2024.

He has offered to help town officials in situations ranging from storm assessments to checking snow loads on buildings. He has also used specialized equipment, such as thermal imaging cameras, to identify potential issues. After testing a thermal camera on the Senior Center roof, he shared the images with town officials, showing significant heat loss. 

Bakinowski holds a Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 commercial drone certification, which requires passing a comprehensive aeronautical knowledge exam and maintaining ongoing training. He has been flying drones for 16 years now.

“I tell people I can’t fly an airplane, but I can fly a drone,” he said. 

Even when volunteering for the town, he operates under the same federal rules as any commercial drone pilot. While drones have become increasingly common--“now every kid seems to have one,” he said—Bakinowski encourages hobbyists to understand the rules and responsibilities that come with flying.

He points out that modern drones include built-in safeguards such as geofencing, a software-based safety feature that uses GPS and internal maps to restrict where a drone can fly. Since 2023, drones are required to broadcast a “Remote ID,” which functions like a digital license plate. They are classified as aircraft, and drones weighing more than 250 grams must be registered with the FAA. Drone pilots must follow strict operating rules, including flying below 400 feet, maintaining line of sight, avoiding crowds, and complying with airspace restrictions near airports and sensitive locations. Recreational drone flyers are not required to obtain Part 107 certification, but must instead take the TRUST test, a free online safety test.

The growing presence of drones drew public attention last year when reports of mysterious aircraft or drones circulated across the region and on local social media pages. Bakinowski reviewed some of the images and videos that were shared at the time but said most did not point to anything unusual. While a few sightings were difficult to identify, he noted that experimental and specialized planes with unusual lighting patterns have been spotted in the region, some out of Norwood Airport, and they often fly at night.

He added, however, “There were a few things that I saw videos of that didn’t make sense. They left as fast as they came.” 

Bakinowski’s drone expertise grew out of a long career in environmental and infrastructure-related work. A geologist by training, he has worked in the environmental field for 45 years, including at the Massachusetts Department of Correction, where he focused on environmental compliance and permitting. Inspecting large water tanks was a routine responsibility and the beginning of his drone work.

“The need to conduct periodic inspections of the water tanks was part of the decision to utilize drones,” he explained. “It was a cost savings measure and safer than climbing the tanks.”

After leaving the Department of Correction, Bakinowski continued using drones professionally in the private sector. He worked as a scientist for the engineering and consulting firm Weston & Sampson, where his primary responsibilities were in the environmental and energy group, but he also worked with the transportation group, the facilities group (architects and planners), landscape design group and the municipal services group.

During that time, he helped build and expand the firm’s drone program, using aerial photography and mapping for site inspections, solar field assessments, and project documentation.

“Walking 20 acres back and forth down rows is very time consuming,” he said of large solar installations. “But you can fly a drone over it and you can see a lot of stuff in a very short amount of time.”

Now officially retired, Bakinowski continues to fly because he enjoys both the technology and the opportunity to help locally. Widely regarded as an expert, he presents at professional conferences and industry training sessions on the use of drone technology in public works and environmental projects.

What began as a professional tool has become a valuable local resource. Whether documenting flooding, inspecting buildings, or simply providing a broader view of the community, Bakinowski’s work offers town officials and residents a perspective that is otherwise hard to obtain.

“You never know when you need the pictures,” he said. “It’s always handy and the technology’s there.”

And for Bakinowski, the view from above never gets old.