December 13, 2011
Contact: Vertical Flight Society
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AHS Supports New Congressional Army Aviation Caucus
ALEXANDRIA, VA – AHS Executive Director Michael J. Hirschberg today helped kick off the Army Aviation Caucus with an invited presentation at the inaugural session of the newly-formed caucus. Hirschberg presented AHS’s perspective on the global vertical flight industry and urged the caucus to consider the challenges regarding modernization of U.S. military and civilian rotorcraft. “I applaud the formation of the Army Aviation Caucus,” said Hirschberg. “For too long, AHS has been like a voice crying out in the wilderness. The technological advancement of the U.S. military rotorcraft fleet has fallen well short of its potential. Finally there is an audience willing to listen to our concerns.”
Caucus chair Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) and co-chair Rep. Mark Critz (D-PA) officially formed the caucus in October and it now includes more than 30 members from both parties. More information can be found at brooks.house.gov/aac.
Congressman Mo Brooks noted: “Today’s first meeting of the Army Aviation Caucus successfully provided a forum for Members to interact with the Army Aviation community and learn more about their needs. The central goal of the caucus is to ensure that Congress stays focused on the tasks at hand regarding military assets, and I appreciate the American Helicopter Society’s willingness to keep us up-to-date and informed.”
Congressman Critz stated that “Army Aviation has experienced great success against our nation’s adversaries over the last decade. However, this success has come at a high cost. We must ensure that we pass on unmatched Military Vertical Lift to the next generation of solider. To those ends we will commit ourselves to maintaining a vibrant and relevant caucus that educates, communicates, and spurs innovation in the vertical lift industry. The vertical lift industry and defense rotorcraft are inseparably linked. If we are to preserve top quality aviation in support of our ground forces, a vibrant industrial base is key.”
The meeting featured remarks by Congressmen Brooks and Critz, as well as by Lt Gen (Ret) Dan Petrosky, President of the Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA), followed by AHS. Hirschberg urged the caucus to expand its scope to include all military and commercial rotorcraft, and pledged to work with AAAA and other vertical flight professional societies to support the caucus. AHS is also working through the auspices of the Vertical Lift Consortium (VLC) to advance a common agenda, including supporting the Department of Defense (DoD) Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Strategic Plan.
The American Helicopter Society (AHS) International is the world's premier vertical flight technical society. Since its inception in 1943, AHS has been a major force in the advancement of the global rotorcraft industry. The Society is the global resource for information on vertical flight technology. It provides global leadership for scientific, technical, educational and legislative initiatives that advance the state-of-the-art of vertical flight. More information on the Society’s advocacy efforts can be found at http://www.vtol.org/what-we-do/advocacy.
AHS International, 217 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314; (703) 684-6777; (855) AHS-INTL; Fax (703) 739-9279; Send email; web site: www.vtol.org. A PDF of this press release is also available.