It was an honour to participate in a panel discussion at Quiet Drones 2024 alongside industry leaders Marion Burgess, Joe Czech, Ed Weston (CAA), Jesse Suskin (Wings Australia), and Guillaume Malaval (EASA) on drone noise considerations.

Is drone noise and noise regulation a pressing issue today? Not really.

What about in the future?

For many data capture and aerial intelligence drone operations, noise may not be a significant concern either. Drone noise varies, if I am honest I regularly find their noise signature … annoying, however only the crew members and clients’ staff are typically nearby.

However, when we consider operations at scale in busy, populated areas—such as drone deliveries or urban transport where people are exposed to the noise regularly, perhaps even daily—noise becomes a different story. In these scenarios, being “quieter by design” will likely be a crucial success factor for market leaders. It won’t just be about meeting regulatory standards; it will be about developing a standout product that gains widespread acceptance and market traction.

ALS