Forum Program Overview

Below is the schedule of the major events at Forum 81. You can also check out these links for other schedule views and information:

Forum landing page — basic intro to the Forum
Registration Information — rates and link to register
Short course — Electric VTOL Technology short course
Schedule overview (pdf) — how all the pieces fit together
Sessions at a Glance (pdf) — all 48 technical sessions and 10 invited speaker sessions
Final Program (pdf) — a comprehensive guide to the event — new!
Technical Paper Session (pdf) — all 265 technical papers: who, what and when — new!
Technical Briefing schedule (pdf) — latest updates from exhibitors on the Exhibit Floor
Forum Tools — handy mobile-friendly links to help attendees before and during the Forum — new!
Planning your free time? There are lots of things to do in Virginia Beach!

Monday, May 19, 2025
Registration Desk Open	7:00am–5:00pm
Technical Council Meeting	8:00am–12:00pm
Short Course: Electric VTOL Technology	8:00am–5:00pm
Journal Editors Meeting	12:00pm–1:30pm
Downwash/Outwash Workshop	2:30pm–4:30pm
Silent Auction & Roast at the nearby Military Aviation Museum	5:00pm–8:00pm
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Registration Desk Open	7:00am–5:00pm
Technical Session A Advanced Vertical Flight I Aerodynamics I Aircraft Design I Crash Safety Handling Qualities I History Propulsion I Manufacturing Technology Systems Engineering Test & Evaluation I	8:00am–12:00pm
History Panel Co-Developing Military & Civilian VTOL Air Vehicles [Part of the History Session] Moderated by Kaydon Stanzione, LogistiWerx Inc. Frank Colucci: Market Impact Nick Lappos: Flight Testing Bill Lewis: Military SOA to Airworthiness Dan Newman: Design Commonality John Piasecki: R&D and Prototyping Erasmo Pinero: AAM Certification & Infrastructures	10:30 – 11:30 am
Special Session 1: NATO Next Generation Rotorcraft Capabilities (NGRC) Chaired by Dan Newman, Auduril Industries Richard Thorpe, NGRC Senior Technical Officer, NATO Support & Procurement Agency (NSPA) John Martin, Director of Turboshaft Advanced Programs, GE Aerospace Steve Raeff, Program Manager of Open Systems Architecture, Lockheed Martin Kirk Avery, Tactical Mission Systems Chief Architect, Lockheed Martin Charles Gough, Lead for Operational Analysis, Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (Dstl)	8:00am–9:30am
Exhibit Hall Open	9:00am–7:00pm
Technical Session A Refreshment Break — Sponsored by Arnold Magnetic Technologies	9:30am–10:00am
Special Session 2: Government VTOL Research Chaired by Luigi Ricci Moretti, VTOL Consultant Arnaud LePape, Rotorcraft Program Director, ONERA—The French Aerospace Lab Florian Antrack, Program Manager, Defence Technology, DLR—German Aerospace Center Stefan van 't Hoff, Team Leader & Principal R&D Engineer, NLR—Netherlands Aerospace Centre Derek (Duff) Gowanlock, Technology Lead, Flight Autonomy, Research Test Pilot, NRC—National Research Council Canada Dr. Noah Schiller, Project Manager, Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT), NASA Cliff Johnson, Research Engineer, US Federal Aviation Administration (invited)	10:00am–12:00pm
Exhibit Hall Lunch Break — Sponsored by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company	12:00pm–1:30pm
Technical Briefing: VTOL/eVTOL Downwash Outwash Modeling and Simulation, Continuum Dynamics, Inc Booth 308, Exhibit Hall	1:00pm–1:30pm
Opening General Session *Welcome* Angelo Collins, Executive Director, Vertical Flight Society *Keynote Discussion* Col Robert Hurst, USMC, Program Manager, PMA-275, V-22 Joint Program Office, Dept. of Navy Maj Gen Robert L. Barrie, Jr., US Army, Deputy, Acquisition & Systems Management, ASA(ALT), Dept. of Army *Straight Talk from the Top* Moderated by Rex Alexander, Five-Alpha Denis Descheemaeker, Head of Research & Innovation, Airbus Helicopters Carl Coffman, VP of Military Sales & Strategy, Bell Chris Speights, Vertical Lift Chief Engineer, The Boeing Co. Roberto Garavaglia, SVP, Strategy & Rotorcraft Business Evolution, Leonardo Helicopters Richard Benton, VP/GM, Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Co. David Smith, President/CEO, Robinson Helicopter Co.	1:30pm–3:30pm
Opening General Session Refreshment Break — Sponsored by GE Aerospace	3:30pm–4:00pm
45th Annual Nikolsky Lecture and Other Awards Vertical Flight Foundation (VFF) Scholarship Winners: 33 Students VFS Executive Director Scholarship Award: TBA Robert L. Lichten Award Winner: Angela Buccio, Senior Rotor Dynamics & Aeromechanics Engineer, Bell Textron, Inc. Alexander A. Nikolsky Lectureship Award: Dr. Peter Lorber, LM Fellow, Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company, "The Complementary Roles of Experiment and Analysis in Developing Rotorcraft Aerodynamics"	4:00pm–5:15pm
Industry Reception	5:00pm–7:00pm
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Registration Desk Open	7:00am–5:00pm
Technical Session B Acoustics I Aerodynamics II Aircraft Design II Autonomy & UAS I Dynamics I eVTOL I Modeling & Simulation I Propulsion II Structures & Materials I Test & Evaluation II	8:00am–12:15pm
Special Session 3: US Navy/Marine VTOL Programs Moderated by Col Robert Hurst, USMC, Program Manager – PMA-275, V-22 Joint Program Office Major Tyler “DAFPHNE” Davenport, USMC — V-22 tester and acquisition officer Major Clayton “Muzzle” Scott, USMC — Current V-22 tester LtCol Ryan “Beans” Benes, USMC — V-22 HMX pilot and operational tester LtCol Aaron “Fingers” Okun, USMC — HX-21 CO, V-22 test pilot and acquisition officer	8:00am–9:30am
Exhibit Hall Open	9:00am–5:00pm
Technical Session B Refreshment Break — Sponsored by KBR, Inc.	9:30am–10:15am
Special Session 4: US Army Aviation VTOL Programs Moderated by TBD (hybrid) COL Ryan Nesrsta, Utility Helicopters Project Office (UHPO), Project Manager Scott Rosengren, UHPO Technical Chief Sean Townsend, UAS Technical Chief John Turner, CH-47F MOSA Lead Alex Boydston, Apache Enterprise Architecture Lead Douglas Wolfe, FLRAA Architecture, Software & Cyber Branch Chief Andrew Barber, ATE Technical Chief	10:15am–12:15pm
Exhibit Hall Lunch Break — Sponsored by The Boeing Company	12:15pm–1:45pm
Safety Committee Meeting	1:00pm–1:45pm
Technical Briefing: AVL Advanced Air and Mobility Solutions, AVL Booth 317, Exhibit Hall	1:15pm–1:45pm
Technical Briefing: VTOL/eVTOL Interactional Aerodynamics Modeling and Simulation, Continuum Dynamics, Inc. Booth 308, Exhibit Hall	1:15pm–1:45pm
Technical Session C Acoustics II Advanced Vertical Flight II Aerodynamics III Avionics & Systems I Dynamics II eVTOL II Handling Qualities II Modeling & Simulation II Operations & Infrastructure I Propulsion III	1:45pm–6:00pm
Special Session 5: Designing for Modularity Chaired by Matt Sipe, VP Strategy, Parry Labs Carl Forsling, Director, Business Development & Strategy, Military Line of Business, Airbus US Space and Defense Joe Pantalone, Head of Archer Defense & Advanced Programs, Archer Aviation Lee Anderson, Director of Advanced Programs, Bell Textron Mike Sousa, Development Manager, GE Aerospace	1:45pm–3:15pm
Technical Session C Refreshment Break — Sponsored by ACS	3:15pm–4:00pm
Technical Briefing: HIL/SIL Testing Equipment from BLOOMY Booth 701, Exhibit Hall	3:30pm–4:00pm
Technical Briefing: Case Study of Electric Motors for Advanced Air Mobility, Windings, Inc. Booth 802, Exhibit Hall	3:30pm–4:00pm
Special Session 6: Uncrewed VTOL Chaired by Luigi Ricci Moretti, VTOL Consultant Mike Fillman, Head of Aerodynamics and MDO for UxS, AeroVironment Mark Butkiewicz, VP, Applied Engineering & Applied Technology Operation Manager, SURVICE Engineering John Piasecki, CEO, Piasecki Aircraft Dr. Hector Xu, CEO, Rotor Technologies Jim McLaughlin, Director of S&T for AWPC, Leonardo Helicopters Carl Forsling, Director, Business Development & Strategy, Military Line of Business, Airbus US Space and Defense	4:00pm–6:00pm
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Registration Desk Open	7:00am–1:30pm
81st Annual Grand Awards Breakfast Limited seating	7:30am–9:00am
Exhibit Hall Open	9:00am–12:00pm
Technical Session D Refreshment Break — Sponsored by Continuum Dynamics, Inc.	9:00am–9:45am
Technical Session D Aerodynamics IV/ Test & Evaluation III Joint Session Part I Autonomy & UAS II Avionics & Systems II Dynamics III Modeling & Simulation III Product Support Safety I Structures & Materials II	9:45am–12:15pm
Special Session 7: VTOL Challenges Chaired by Rex Alexander, Five-Alpha Rex Alexander, President and Executive Director, Five-Alpha Dr. Richard Brown, Founder/CTO, Sophrodyne Ryan King, Vertical Flight Infrastructure Research Engineer, FAA (invited) Mickey Radotich, Aerospace Engineer, NASA Ames Research Center Juliet Page, Principal Engineer, Blue Ridge Research & Consulting Marilyn Pearson, AAM Regulatory Affairs Specialist, CAE LT Mark Zinderman, Flight Safety Officer, National Capital Region Air Defense Facility, US Coast Guard Gwen Lighter, CEO, GoAERO	9:45am–12:15pm
Lunch on your own	12:15pm–1:30pm
Technical Session E Aerodynamics IV / Test & Evaluation III Joint Session Part II Acoustics III Crew Stations Dynamics IV eVTOL III Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) Modeling & Simulation IV Ops & Infrastructure II Safety II Structures & Materials III	1:30pm–5:30pm
Special Session 8: Developments in eVTOL Propulsion Chaired by Ken Swartz, Aeromedia Consultants David Eichstedt, VP of Product Management, VerdeGo Aero John Wyzykowski, Sr. Engineering Expert, Propulsion, Horizon Aircraft Ian Randall, CEO, MagLev Aero John Piasecki, CEO, Piasecki Aircraft	1:30pm–3:00pm
Technical Session E Refreshment Break — Sponsored by SAE International	3:00pm–3:30pm
Special Session 9: Progress in eVTOL Aircraft Developments Chaired by *Siena Whiteside*, NASA Langley Research Center Matt Smith, Director of Certification and Airworthiness, AIR EV Jacob Cook, Flight Dynamics & Control System Lead, Dufour Aerospace Dr. Marco Stuhlpfarrer, VP Technology and Innovation, ERC System GmbH Furqan, CEO, Sora Aviation Jim Tighe, CTO, Wisk	3:30pm–5:15pm
Friday, May 23, 2025
Tour of the NASA Langley Research Center US citizens only (Reservation required)	7:30am-12:00pm (tentative schedule)

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