This document describes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to navigate an unmanned aerial vehicle highway. The UAV includes a navigation system that includes a sensor, configured to gather environmental data, and a computing system configured to navigate the UAV. The computing system compares the environmental data to a specified data signature in the one or more spectra and determines a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the unmanned aerial vehicle highway. The UAV includes a hybrid generator system including an engine configured to generate mechanical energy and a generator motor coupled to the engine and configured to generate electrical energy from the mechanical energy generated by the engine. The UAV includes a rotor motor configured to drive a propeller to rotate. The navigation system is powered by the electrical energy generated by the generator motor.