Electrical vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs), like the one shown in this concept art, could be a crucial part of the next generation of air transportation. In order to create a viable market, designers will have to create a comfortable passenger experience. NASA's Advanced Air Mobility mission is researching ride quality to better understand how these aircraft should be designed.

Michael Feary pilots a simulated electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft in the VMS’s R-Cab during the AFCM subproject simulation FAA-2 flight tests in the VMS, N243.

For NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility mission's vision to be successful, partners in industry and government must develop new air traffic management technologies. This concept art represents how different types of aircraft could fly safely and efficiently in a busy airspace with the help of new air traffic management technologies.

NASA's Advanced Air Mobility mission is helping to ensure this new class of aircraft that industry is developing is safe to operate. This concept art represents how the addition of automated technologies on the aircraft like hazard avoidance could help.

Advanced Air Mobility will connect both urban dwellers and rural residents by adding a new way to travel by air. As shown in this concept art, passengers could travel from rural areas into the city quicker than by car to board a commercial airliner, access medical care or to purchase goods.

NASA is uniquely qualified to help revolutionize the Advanced Air Mobility cargo transportation industry by finding solutions for faster and cleaner modes of moving packages, using both large cargo delivery aircraft and small package delivery drones like seen in this concept image.

Several projects under NASA's Advanced Air Mobility or AAM mission are working on different elements to help make AAM a reality in emergency operations. This concept graphic shows how a future AAM vehicle could aid in disaster response.

Several projects supporting NASA's Advanced Air Mobility or AAM mission are working on different elements to help make AAM a reality and one of these research areas is automation. This concept graphic shows how elements of automation could be integrated into a future airspace. Technology like this could enable vehicles to operate without a pilot, or if a pilot is in the loop, increase the safety.

Several projects supporting NASA's Advanced Air Mobility or AAM mission are working on different research initiatives to help make AAM a reality. AAM could be used in healthcare operations in the form of air taxi ambulances or medical supply delivery in the future. This concept graphic shows how a future AAM vehicle could aid in healthcare by carrying passengers to a hospital.

Several projects supporting NASA's Advanced Air Mobility, or AAM mission, are working on different elements to help make AAM a reality. The team is researching how the addition of AAM could cut traffic commutes, make travel more sustainable, and make road trips shorter. With the addition of AAM, we would be using another dimension in the sky for travel below traditional aircraft and above cars, buses, or trains below.

The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project conducted connectivity and infrastructure flight tests with a NASA TG-14 glider aircraft at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2020. The flights were preparation for the NC Integrated Dry Run Test in December and allowed pilots to view the routes they will fly during the helicopter test.

NASA's Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign conducts testing to study controllability characteristics when operating near buildings during heavy wind conditions at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Dec. 6 and 8-10. The Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. was used to study urban air mobility vehicle performance and flying qualities requirements.

A Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. in Mojave, California, sits on a helipad at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California the first week of December 2020. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project used the helicopter as a surrogate urban air mobility vehicle to develop and implement infrastructure, including the markings seen in the image, to support safe operations of these vehicles.  

A Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. in Mojave, California, flies at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California the first week of December 2020. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project used the helicopter as a surrogate urban air mobility vehicle to develop a data baseline for future flight testing.  

Vertiports and helipads were painted Oct. 6-14, 2020 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center to support future flight testing for the Advanced Air Mobility project’s National Campaign. 

A Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. in Mojave, California, prepares to land at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California the first week of December 2020. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project used the helicopter as a surrogate urban air mobility vehicle to develop a data baseline for future flight testing. 

NASA pilot Scott Howe, left, and Sikorsky safety pilot Brent Davis, prepare to board Sikorsky’s SARA S-76B experimental aircraft at Sikorsky Memorial Airport, Bridgeport, Connecticut on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. In addition to Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomous flight technology, SARA is also outfitted with multiple NASA autonomous flight software systems the pilots and test team will evaluate during their flights over Long Island Sound.

Ames Research Center researchers from left to right Yasmin Arbab,   Faisal Omar and Mark Snycerski on the Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project’s Airspace Test Infrastructure (ATI) team as well as Armstrong’s Sam Simpliciano in the background. The researchers monitor surveillance data from the helicopter in real time during the NC Integrated Dry Run Test the first week of December 2020 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.

NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign flies maneuvers at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Dec. 6, and 8-10. During this testing, the helicopter is used to study controllability characteristics when operating near buildings during heavy wind conditions. The Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. was used to study urban air mobility vehicle performance and flying qualities requirements.

An aerial image taken by one of NASA’s photographers during recent helicopter flights shows a view of the building 4833 structure and the mobile operating facility at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign uses the mobile operations facility vehicle shown in the lower right corner during test operations. The red, yellow, and white building markings applied to building 4833 are used to provide visual aids to the pilot during handling qualities testing used to research advanced air mobility flight requirements.

Ames Research Center researchers on the Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project's Airspace Test Infrastructure (ATI) team monitor surveillance data and metrics from the helicopter in real time during the NC Integrated Dry Run Test team the first week of December 2020 at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.

NASA pilots along with Sikorsky safety pilots flying Sikorsky’s Black Hawk Optionally Piloted Vehicle, left, and SARA S-76B over Long Island Sound Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. These flights will allow NASA researchers to test and evaluate multiple Advanced Air Mobility autonomous flight software products designed by NASA.

NASA's Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign created a visual aid, known as a tetherball, to serve as the helicopter pilot's height reference while flying different task elements at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Nov. 8-10. The Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. was used to study urban air mobility vehicle performance and flying qualities requirements.

Flight Research Inc.'s Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter flies around a visual aid, known as a tetherball, created to serve as the pilot's visual height reference while performing handling qualities testing at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Nov. 8-10. NASA's Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign used the helicopter to study urban air mobility vehicle and airspace requirements.

Flight Research Inc.'s Bell OH-58 helicopter performs different test maneuvers at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Nov. 8-10, and Dec. 6, and 8-10. NASA's Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign used the helicopter to study urban air mobility vehicle performance and flying qualities requirements.

A Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. flies around a visual aid, known as a tetherball, created to serve as the pilot's visual height reference while performing handling qualities testing at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, Nov. 8-10. NASA's Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign used the helicopter to study urban air mobility vehicle and airspace requirements.

The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project’s NC Integrated Dry Run Test team is pictured in front of a Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. in Mojave, California the first week of December 2020 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.

Flight Research Inc.’s Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter lands on a helipad at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California in March 2021 at the completion of an urban air mobility scenario. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project conducted a second phase of research called build II. This helicopter was used as a surrogate urban air mobility vehicle to study aspects of a future air taxi mission.

Mark Snycerski, senior research associate at NASA's Ames Research Center in California, monitored inbound telemetry data through collection servers during the Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign's connectivity and infrastructure flight tests. The test used a NASA TG-14 glider aircraft based at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2020. The exercise was in preparation for the NC Integrated Dry Run Test in December.

An aerial image taken by one of NASA's photographers during recent helicopter flights shows a view of the windward helipad and surrounding areas and structures that the Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign used during flight research at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Part of the compass rose on the Edwards Air Force Base dry lakebed can also be seen.

Flight Research Inc.’s Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter takes off from a research helipad at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California in March 2021. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project utilized several heliports and vertiports to study airspace management evolutions that could enable future urban air mobility operations. Tests were conducted during build II where this helicopter was used as a surrogate urban air mobility or air taxi vehicle.

A worker painted vertiports and helipads at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center Oct. 6-14, 2020. The Advanced Air Mobility project's National Campaign will use these areas for future flight testing.

NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign used this Bell OH-58 helicopter owned by Flight Research Inc. to study urban air mobility vehicle performance, flying qualities, and airspace requirements. The helicopter performed test maneuvers at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, during two sessions Nov, 8-10, and Dec. 6, and 8-10.

NASA pilots along with Sikorsky safety pilots take off in Sikorsky’s SARA S-76B, left, and Black Hawk Optionally Piloted Vehicle from Sikorsky Memorial Airport, Bridgeport, Connecticut on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. NASA is using these experimental aircraft to test and evaluate multiple autonomous flight software systems designed for Advanced Air Mobility concepts.

Flight Research Inc.’s Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter hovers over a helipad after completing an urban air mobility approach at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California in March 2021. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign studied the viability of various urban air mobility approach options during a second phase called build II. This helicopter was used as a surrogate urban air mobility or air taxi vehicle.

Ames Research Center researchers Yasmin Arbab and Mark Snycerski on the Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project's Airspace Test Infrastructure (ATI) team monitor surveillance data and connectivity of the flight test infrastructure to a cloud based system in real time during the NC Integrated Dry Run Test team the first week of December 2020 at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.

Flight Research Inc.'s Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter departs the leeward heliport at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California in March 2021. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project studied wind and structure interactions as part of a second phase of testing called build II. This helicopter was used as a surrogate urban air mobility or air taxi vehicle.

NASA human factors researcher Kevin J. Monk, left, and NASA pilot Scott Howe verify the connectivity and accuracy of the biometric sensors placed on Howe for test flight at Sikorsky Memorial Airport, Bridgeport, Connecticut on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. These sensors will track various physiological responses sending the data to Monk’s computer as Howe engages with the autonomous flight software used to fly the aircraft.

NASA research pilot David Zahn, left, wearing a temporal sensor and pupil tracking glasses works with NASA human factors researcher Kevin J. Monk to calibrate the glasses for accuracy, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. The researchers will use the glasses for Advanced Air Mobility autonomous flight research at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Bridgeport, Connecticut to evaluate the time a pilot spends looking at a navigation tablet along with their vision pattern while using the tablet.

Flight Research Inc.'s Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter flies vehicle characteristics maneuvers for comparison to developmental urban air mobility (UAM) test maneuvers at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California in March 2021. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign studied flight test techniques that may be used for future UAM certification.

Housed at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, the Advanced Air Mobility project's National Campaign upgraded the Mobile Operations Facility, pictured here on July 20, 2022. This command center on wheels is a key piece of NASA's AAM testing.

New decals are shown in this image of NASA's Mobile Operations Facility at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California on July 20, 2022. NASA's Advanced Air Mobility Project’s National Campaign uses the vehicle for mobile testing efforts.

The upgraded NASA Mobile Operations Facility, a mission control and data collection center on wheels, is shown parked at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California on July 20, 2022. This vehicle is used for NASA's Advanced Air Mobility project’s National Campaign testing.

NASA Advanced Air Mobility project’s National Campaign mobile testing trailer is pictured at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards California on July 20, 2022. This trailer supports the Mobile Operations Facility’s data transmission when deployed to test locations.

NASA's Mobile Operations Facility is shown here with new decals at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California on July 20, 2022. Antennas, sensors, and radar communications, housed inside and outside of the vehicle, help monitor aircraft and transmit data. NASA's Advanced Air Mobility project’s National Campaign uses the vehicle for testing.

Photos taken on July 20, 2022, show new logos added to the side of the National Campaign’s upgraded Mobile Operations Facility, which has been outfitted to obtain and transmit data from anywhere in the country. This mobile command unit is housed at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

NASA Systems Engineer Daniel Eng serves his second year as a judge for the Aerospace Valley Robotics Competition at the Palmdale Aerospace Academy in Palmdale, California, in 2019.

NASA systems engineer, Daniel Eng, right, talks with student participants at the 2019 Aerospace Valley Robotics Competition at the Palmdale Aerospace Academy in Palmdale, California.

This specially outfitted mission control center, called the Mobile Operations Facility, can travel to any flight-testing site to obtain and transmit critical data. Here it is shown at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California on July 20, 2022. The data collected from the vehicle is used by NASA's Advanced Air Mobility project’s National Campaign.

The NASA Mobile Operations Facility sports new decals while parked at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California on July 20, 2022. This vehicle, also known as the MOF, is a mission control and data collection center on wheels. NASA's Advanced Air Mobility project uses it for testing.

Working in the Mobile Operations Facility at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, NASA Advanced Air Mobility researcher Dennis Iannicca adjusts a control board to capture Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data during test flights. The data will be used to understand ADS-B signal loss scenarios for air taxi flights in urban areas.

NASA pilot Kurt Blankenship maps out flight plans during a pre-flight brief. Pilots, crew, and researchers from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California and NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are briefed on the flight plan to gather Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast signal data between the aircraft and ping-Stations on the ground at NASA Armstrong. These flights are the first cross-center research activity with the Pilatus-PC-12 at NASA Armstrong.

An aircraft body modeled after an air taxi with weighted test dummies inside is shown after a drop test at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The test was completed June 26 at Langley’s Landing and Impact Research Facility. The aircraft was dropped from a tall steel structure, known as a gantry, after being hoisted about 35 feet in the air by cables. NASA researchers are investigating aircraft materials that best absorb impact forces in a crash.

An aircraft body modeled after an air taxi with weighted test dummies inside is being prepared for a drop test by researchers at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The test was completed June 26 at Langley’s Landing and Impact Research Facility. The aircraft was dropped from a tall steel structure, known as a gantry, after being hoisted about 35 feet in the air by cables. NASA researchers are investigating aircraft materials that best absorb impact forces in a crash.

An aircraft body modeled after an air taxi with weighted test dummies inside is hoisted about 35 feet in the air by cables at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The aircraft was dropped from a tall steel structure, known as a gantry, on June 26 at Langley’s Landing and Impact Research Facility. NASA researchers are investigating aircraft materials that best absorb impact forces in a crash.