An unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, navigation system, comprising: a UAV charging pad or landing pad; a plurality of fiducial markers positioned about the UAV charging pad or landing pad, each fiducial marker (504a-f) of the plurality being associated with a fiducial dataset storing a position of the fiducial marker, each fiducial dataset being stored in a fiducial map; and a UAV having a navigation system including a camera, a fiducial navigation sub-system, a non-fiducial navigation sub-system, and logic that when executed causes the UAV to perform operations including: imaging a first fiducial marker of the plurality with the camera; transitioning between a non-fiducial navigation mode, in which the UAV navigates without aid of the fiducial navigation sub-system, and a fiducial navigation mode in which the UAV navigates at least partially based upon the fiducial navigation sub-system; accessing, from the fiducial map, the fiducial dataset storing the position of the first fiducial marker; and navigating, based upon the fiducial dataset storing the position of the first fiducial marker, into alignment with and landing on the UAV charging pad or landing pad; characterized in that the UAV includes further logic that when executed causes the UAV to perform additional operations comprising: determining, while the UAV navigates within a fiducial navigation zone, a first navigation solution utilizing the fiducial navigation system, and a second navigation solution utilizing the non-fiducial navigation system; validating the second navigation solution against the first navigation solution to determine if the non-fiducial navigation system has a required position accuracy; and navigating outside the fiducial navigation zone utilizing the non-fiducial navigation system if the non-fiducial navigation system has the required position accuracy. a UAV charging pad or landing pad; a plurality of fiducial markers positioned about the UAV charging pad or landing pad, each fiducial marker (504a-f) of the plurality being associated with a fiducial dataset storing a position of the fiducial marker, each fiducial dataset being stored in a fiducial map; and a UAV having a navigation system including a camera, a fiducial navigation sub-system, a non-fiducial navigation sub-system, and logic that when executed causes the UAV to perform operations including: imaging a first fiducial marker of the plurality with the camera; transitioning between a non-fiducial navigation mode, in which the UAV navigates without aid of the fiducial navigation sub-system, and a fiducial navigation mode in which the UAV navigates at least partially based upon the fiducial navigation sub-system; accessing, from the fiducial map, the fiducial dataset storing the position of the first fiducial marker; and navigating, based upon the fiducial dataset storing the position of the first fiducial marker, into alignment with and landing on the UAV charging pad or landing pad; characterized in that the UAV includes further logic that when executed causes the UAV to perform additional operations comprising: determining, while the UAV navigates within a fiducial navigation zone, a first navigation solution utilizing the fiducial navigation system, and a second navigation solution utilizing the non-fiducial navigation system; validating the second navigation solution against the first navigation solution to determine if the non-fiducial navigation system has a required position accuracy; and navigating outside the fiducial navigation zone utilizing the non-fiducial navigation system if the non-fiducial navigation system has the required position accuracy. imaging a first fiducial marker of the plurality with the camera; transitioning between a non-fiducial navigation mode, in which the UAV navigates without aid of the fiducial navigation sub-system, and a fiducial navigation mode in which the UAV navigates at least partially based upon the fiducial navigation sub-system; accessing, from the fiducial map, the fiducial dataset storing the position of the first fiducial marker; and navigating, based upon the fiducial dataset storing the position of the first fiducial marker, into alignment with and landing on the UAV charging pad or landing pad; characterized in that the UAV includes further logic that when executed causes the UAV to perform additional operations comprising: determining, while the UAV navigates within a fiducial navigation zone, a first navigation solution utilizing the fiducial navigation system, and a second navigation solution utilizing the non-fiducial navigation system; validating the second navigation solution against the first navigation solution to determine if the non-fiducial navigation system has a required position accuracy; and navigating outside the fiducial navigation zone utilizing the non-fiducial navigation system if the non-fiducial navigation system has the required position accuracy.