Learn about current and upcoming webinars or check out all of our videos on the VFS Video Library page!
The Vertical Flight Society has been hosting virtual technical sessions, workshops, presentations and interviews on timely and relevant topics in VTOL and eVTOL. These webinars were hosted either by VFS headquarters or by our chapters around the world.
These programs provide important information to help the community continue advancing vertical flight.
| Tue., Feb. 24: Motion Amplification® and Camera-Based Full Field Vibration Techniques, presented by the VFS Stratford Chapter 1830-1930 EST/1730-1830 CST/1630-1730 PST/2330-0030 UTC Moderator: Mark Alexander, Sikorsky Speaker: Jeff Hay, CEO, RDI Technologies  The webinar will be an introduction to Motion Amplification® technology, applications, and case examples with videos. Motion Amplification® is a patented video-processing technique that detects subtle motion and enhances that motion to a level visible with the naked eye. Motion Amplification® Technology can resolve motions as small as 250 nanometers at 1 meter and can be performed live and in real-time, making it suitable for a range of applications from product design, test, and measurements, R&D, test cells, to field-based machinery fault diagnosis, dynamics, and structural testing. |
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| Tue., Feb. 23: Los Angeles County Fire-Air Operations: Saving lives from the air, presented by the VFS East New England Chapter 1200-1300 EST/1100-1200 CST/0900-1000 PST/1700-1800 UTC Moderator: Harry Nahatis, ENE Chapter President Speakers: Dennis Blumenthal, Chief of Helicopter Maintenance Patrick Sprengel, Former Battalion Chief of Air Operations  Join us to hear from Dennis Blumenthal, Chief of Helicopter Maintenance, and Pat Sprengel, Former Battalion Chief of Air Operations at LA County Fire. Thank you to United Aero Group for generously sponsoring this month's webinar! |
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| Wed., Feb. 17: VFS eVTOL Writers Group Interview - Embention 1100-1200 EST/1000-1100 CST/0900-1000 MST / 0800 - 0900 PST/1600-1700 UTC Moderator: Kelsey Reichmann, Avionics International Speaker: Javier Espuch, Business Development Manager  Embention develops components for drones and UAM, as well as autonomous systems for professional and military use. Embention develops two main product lines: Veronte and NMAND. - Veronte: The Veronte product line develops autopilots and equipment for autonomous vehicles. It includes high-performance UAV autopilots, control stations, payloads such as cameras, and many other accessories. This system is capable of controlling unmanned vehicles, such as fixed wing, helicopter, and multirotor vehicles, in order to perform fully autonomous operations. - NMAND The NMAND product line develops the integration of ready to fly platforms and unmanned vehicles. These drones can be customized for many applications such as surveillance or photogrammetry. |
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| Wed., Feb. 10: VFS eVTOL Writers Group Interview - Volocopter 1100-1200 EST/1000-1100 CST/0900-1000 MST / 0800 - 0900 PST/1600-1700 UTC Moderator: Charles Alcock, Senior Editor, AIN Publications Speaker: Florian Reuter, CEO, Volocopter Oliver Reinhardt, Head of Certification & Quality, Volocopter  Here are the main topics and points of the conversation that will be aired in the session: * Progress report on certification work with EASA, update on when the agency will finalize the SC-VTOL and what this will look like. * More detail on Volocopter’s just-announced plans to work with the FAA on certification and how it intends to navigate its way through to type certification. * Update and discussion on Volocopter’s plans to support the operational launch in locations such as Paris, Germany, Singapore and the U.S. How does Volocopter intend to establish partnerships to build the ground infrastructure and prepare to provide commercial flights? Why does it make sense for an engineering-based startup to aspire to be the operator, why not sell the aircraft to existing operating companies (e.g. helicopter operators, private jet charter operators, etc)? * Why does Volocopter still think that low-capacity, short-range, all-electric eVTOLs make sense? Isn’t it better to aspire to a more diverse array of advanced air mobility applications, by using hybrid-powered aircraft that can deliver more payload and range in the short term? * What does Volocopter see happening in this sector between now and the middle of the decade? How much consolidation will there be and how will this happen? How do they see the investment environment, is money still available from venture capital and private equity sources? |
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| Thu., Feb. 4: Quarterly Membership Meeting of the Federal City Chapter of the VFS 1800-2000 EST/1700-1900 CST/1500-1700 PST/2300-0100 UTC Moderator: Rich Koucheravy, VFS Federal City Chapter President Speaker: James Sutherland, University of Maryland  Agenda - 6:00-6:10 Welcome and introductions (Rich Koucheravy) - 6:10-6:25 UMD Graduate Student Design Team Presentation, James Sutherland - 6:30-7:30 US Military Panel, Service Vertical Lift Modernization Efforts, incl Q&A US Army: Colonel Lance Van Zandt (HQDA, Army G8, Aviation) US Navy: CAPT Brian "Ghost" Binder, Branch Head, Rotary Aircraft, OPNAV N98 US Air Force: Major Jake Berninghausen (SAF/AQ) USMC: Colonel Chris Boniface, Aviation Programs & Weapons Systems/Assault Support (HQMC Aviation) USCG: CAPT Frederick “Carl” Riedlin, Chief of Aviation Forces (CG-711) - 7:30-8:00 Chapter Business and Closing |
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| Tue., Jan. 19: Austin Meyer - How X-Plane can be used for eVTOL flight, presented by the eVTOL Flight Test Council 1100-1200 EST/1000-1100 CST/0800-0900 PST/1600-1700 UTC Moderator: Peter Schmidt, Transcend Speaker: Austin Meyer, X-Plane  On Jan 19th, Austin Meyer, inventor, investor, entrepreneur, software engineer, and CEO/developer of X-Plane will present on flight simulation of eVTOLs based on X-Plane’s “near-first-principle physics” approach. He will discuss the challenges he faced and overcame in doing so with X-Plane, including enhancing blade element theory flight modeling and improving its handling qualities for aircraft with multiple, possibly tilting/transitioning props. |
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