Category Filtering: 'vfs'
On Monday, May 9 (the eve of the VFS Forum 78), The Air Current (TAC) broke the story that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had decided that winged electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that met the FAA’s definition of “powered-lift”— a term used nearly exclusively for pilot qualification rules — could not be certified or operate as “airplanes”
AIR revealed a full-scale prototype of its AIR ONE eVTOL at the Kentucky Derby on May 7. The Israel-based eVTOL developer unveiled the AIR ONE in October (see “Electric VTOL News,” Vertiflite, Jan/Feb 2022).
Manta Aircraft announced on May 3 that it has secured a provisional order for up to 15 hybrid-electric aircraft from Avinord, an Italian firm specializing in air medical flights.
The Vertical Flight Society today announces the winners of its second annual Design-Build-Vertical Flight (DBVF) Student Competition. The Ohio State University took first place, University of Maryland took second and the Pennsylvania State University took third.
On March 29–31, the Vertical Flight Society hosted a groundbreaking, first-ever symposium and workshop on the potential for hydrogen (H2) to decarbonize aerospace.
Since our beginnings in 1943 as the American Helicopter Society, the Vertical Flight Society (VFS) has had an expansive view of how to advance vertical flight. We didn’t just focus on the unique aspects of helicopters (e.g., rotors) but all of the technologies, methodologies and disciplines that supported the development of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Important systems like engines, lightweight structures and controls are applicable to all aircraft, but most critical to powered lift.
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) was the sole producer of video recordings of all of the major rotorcraft manufacturers at HAI Heli-Expo 2022, March 7-10, Dallas, Texas. In addition, two VFS talks and multiple interviews were also conducted.
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, is holding the first public event in the United States on the use of hydrogen and fuel cells for aviation applications. The event, the 1st H2-Aero Symposium & Workshop, is being held March 29-31, 2022, in Long Beach, California. Southern California was selected as the location for this inaugural event due to the state’s forward-looking vision and national leading progress to date to support hydrogen for ground transportation. See www.vtol.org/h2workshop for details.
Both the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) industry and the drone industry are experiencing a talent crisis. According to DroneAnalyst’s “2021 Drone Market Sector Report,” pilots are at a premium. A 2020 VFS study indicated that 10,000 additional engineers will be needed over the next decade in vertical flight to meet the simultaneous demands of ramping up development of military rotorcraft and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The current talent pool is simply not large enough to meet these demands.
The Vertical Flight Society's extremely successful Transformative Vertical Flight 2022 meeting was held as the Society’s first-ever hybrid event, Jan. 25-27, 2022, in San Jose, California.
