21/04/2026
What does it take to build a trusted eVTOL for everyday urban mobility?🛫
We sat down with Erin, a Noise Certification Engineer at SkyDrive with 9 years of expertise in aerospace acoustics and vibration, to discuss her mission and the unique engineering philosophy she brings from Canada to Japan.
Q. How would you describe your core mission in one sentence?
I would say my job is to ensure the comfort and hearing health of the passengers, pilot, and surrounding community. While my primary focus is ensuring our aircraft meets community noise certification, my mission goes far beyond merely satisfying regulations. I am deeply interested in how people perceive and react to sound—a field known as psychoacoustics. My goal is to foster community trust in our technology by minimizing its acoustic impact and ensuring the cabin remains a truly comfortable space for everyone on board.
Ultimately, beyond a proven track record for safety, I believe that noise impact and the passenger experience will be the decisive factors in the widespread adoption of AAM.
Q. From a noise perspective, what are the advantages of SkyDrive’s multicopter design?
Multicopters are generally easier to make quieter during takeoff and landing compared to winged configurations. In a hover or transition phase, winged aircraft can often suffer from significant noise increases caused by the complex interaction between rotor wake and wing surfaces. By opting for a multicopter design, we eliminate these specific noise sources.
Because of this design advantage, our configuration is acoustically optimized for intra-city mobility. This makes it the ideal solution for providing much-needed traffic relief in densely populated areas, allowing the aircraft to integrate seamlessly into the urban acoustic environment without disrupting the lives of those on the ground. It’s about finding the harmony between technological utility and social acceptance.
Q. Are there any principles or mottos that guide you in your work?
I live by two core principles: Everything we do affects other people, and it is of the utmost importance that we land on the truth."
In Canada, engineers receive an "Iron Ring" upon graduation—a symbol of our duty to society and a reminder of past engineering failures. I still wear this ring to remind myself that our decisions directly impact the health, safety, and well-being of others.
Because the cost of a wrong solution is too high in aviation, we must be completely honest with ourselves and each other. Technical expertise alone is never enough; I have an obligation to keep my knowledge sharp while constantly learning from the diverse perspectives of my team to make the best decisions possible.
