Various embodiments include methods for managing antennas on an aerial robotic vehicle used for wireless communications. A processor may receive position information identifying a location of the aerial robotic vehicle, determine whether to switch from using a first antenna to using a second antenna for active communications of the aerial robotic vehicle based on the position information, and switch active communications from using the first antenna to using the second antenna in response to determining that active communications of the aerial robotic vehicle should switch from using the first antenna to using the second antenna. The processor may make the determination using information from a database, which may correlate aerial robotic vehicle position to whether to use a particular one of the first and second antennas for active communications. The determination may also be based on a comparison of signal qualities obtained by both antennas.