Several advanced air mobility aircraft concepts are staged for a medical transport concept. © NASA/Lillian Gipson
New types of Air Taxis flying overhead could bring new and unfamiliar sounds, and according to new research from NASA, where you live may affect how you react to them.
For years, NASA’s aeronautics team has worked on developing new air transportation options for moving people and goods. At the same time, the agency has been studying how these aircraft can safely fit into U.S. communities, including how people feel about the noise they make.
This latest study focused on “air taxis,” a general term for small aircraft designed to carry people short distances, whether for daily travel or even medical trips. Researchers wanted to know if people living in busy, noisy cities would react differently to air taxi sounds compared to those in quieter suburban neighborhoods.
Between late August and September 2025, 359 people in the Los Angeles, New York City, and Dallas–Fort Worth areas participated in NASA’s Varied Advanced Air Mobility Noise and Geographic Area Response Difference (VANGARD) study.
Participants listened to 67 different simulated aircraft sounds, including concept designs owned by NASA. To keep responses neutral, researchers did not reveal the aircraft manufacturers or show any images of the aircraft.
Early findings show that people living in louder areas reported being more bothered by the air taxi sounds than those in quieter places. The VANGARD team is still analyzing the data, but one early theory is that people who already live with high noise levels may be more sensitive to additional sounds.
Between late August and September 2025, 359 people in the Los Angeles, New York City, and Dallas–Fort Worth areas participated in NASA’s Varied Advanced Air Mobility Noise and Geographic Area Response Difference (VANGARD) study.