More testing of drones and eVTOL aircraft is needed to build the noise data that will shape future UK regulation, a report from the aviation regulator has found.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the evidence base on noise from drones and eVTOL aircraft remains limited, drawing largely on modeling, laboratory studies and early trials rather than large-scale or long-term operations.
Its report, Managing Noise from Emerging Aviation Technology, calls for trials and early deployments to double up as testing that collects common operational and noise data for rule-making purposes. The information gathered should feed the national noise policy the Department for Transport is developing for drones.
Although drones and eVTOL aircraft are expected to be quieter than the conventional helicopters they might replace, the report said they may create different patterns of noise exposure, flying at lower altitudes, closer to homes and with hover and vertical flight.
Acoustic characteristics, such as the distinctive high-pitched whine multicopter drones make, can also make them more annoying than other noise sources at the same sound level.
The CAA said conventional noise metrics may not fully capture intermittent or repetitive operations and may need to be supplemented with event-based or sound-quality measures where that materially improves assessment.
The report also noted that there are no internationally agreed noise-certification standards covering the full range of drones and eVTOL aircraft, and no established source-noise datasets for all configurations. In the meantime, the CAA said its published UK technical specifications can provide a starting point for project-specific certification while international standards develop.
Ed Weston, head of environmental research and consultancy at the CAA, said, “Taking the opportunity to improve our understanding and develop good practice while the sector is still emerging and expanding is vital. A clear and proportionate approach to noise can protect communities, give operators greater certainty and support the responsible scaling of these new technologies and services that can deliver genuine public and economic benefits.”
The CAA added that the report supports its wider Future of Flight program and the government’s goal of routine beyond-visual-line-of-sight drone operations by 2027 and piloted eVTOL flights from 2028.
