NASA Wants to Know if Air Taxis Will Annoy You

Los Angeles, Dallas, and New York City are to be featured in tests to measure noise levels.

Friday, March 15, 2024 at 02:35 PM ET

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NASA has officially started plans for studying community reaction to AAM aircraft-generated noise by seeking public comment on planned testing. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

NASA is launching a psychoacoustic study, called VANGARD, to understand how people in different noise environments respond to and are annoyed by the sounds of advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft like air taxis.
The remote study will involve 360 participants from U.S. cities likely to see early AAM operations, who will listen to aircraft sounds and rate their annoyance levels.
The objective is to gather data on human noise perception to help minimize the impact of AAM operations and inform the FAA, which defines aircraft noise policy and is currently reviewing its standards for AAM.

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NASA is initiating plans to test the noise tolerance of people living in areas likely to see the biggest uptick in advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft such as air taxis in an effort to mitigate their effects.

The agency published on Friday a federal register notice requesting public feedback on the study, including ways it can be improved or whether it is practical or necessary. Comments will be incorporated in a follow-up request for approval from the Office of Management and Budget.