Possibilities to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are rapidly growing. With the development of battery technologies, communication, navigation, surveillance, and autonomous systems in general, many UAVs are expected to operate at relatively low altitudes. Thus, the problem of UAV noise impact on human health and well-being will be more pronounced. In this paper, we conducted noise measurements of two UAVs of different performance (quadrotor and hexarotor) in flying up and down, hovering, and overflight procedures. Respondents of good hearing who were confirmed by audiogram measurement and had participated in the survey during UAV noise measurement gave their subjective assessments on the UAV noise perception. UAV noise measurements and subjective respondents’ assessments were analysed and related. UAV noise analysis showed that the parameters measured at the same measurement point for the hexarotor were higher than those for the quadrotor in flying up and down and flying-over procedures. Low frequency noise was present in the noise spectrum of both drones. Participants were able to distinguish between the noise of UAVs and had a generally more negative experience with the hexarotor. Regardless of the noise perception, more than 80% of the respondents believe there are more pros than cons for UAV introduction into everyday life.

Unmanned aircraft are increasingly recognized for their potential to enhance healthcare logistics, offering rapid and reliable transport solutions. Among the many envisioned use cases, emergency medical deliveries stand out as particularly promising due to their immediate societal value. This study investigates the potential of drones operating under U-space to support hospital-to-hospital emergency deliveries in Madrid. Using the GEMMA tool, we modeled and simulated operations with two drone types along direct routes between four hospitals, resulting in six hospital pairs. Drone travel times were estimated and compared against road transport times obtained from the Google Routes API, incorporating one week of traffic data to capture daily and weekend variability. The results show substantial advantages of aerial transport, with time savings ranging from 2 to 26 min, equivalent to 35–58% compared to road transport. Drones consistently ensured deliveries within 15 min, outperforming regular cars (39%) and ambulances or motorcycles in highly congested periods. Sensitivity analysis confirms their reliability in scenarios with strict time constraints, especially under 15 min. These findings demonstrate that drones reduce travel times and improve predictability, providing a robust evidence base for policymakers and regulators to advance U-space integration in healthcare logistics.