Press Releases 2022 – 2025
Archived press releases dating back to 2001
2025
Press Release: VFS to Hold Transformative Vertical Flight Conference Next Month, January 10, 2025
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight technology, announces that the world’s longest running conference on electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft will provide comprehensive updates and insights into this exciting new sector of the global aerospace industry. [PDF]
2024
Press Release: VFS Announces RFP for its 2024–2025 Student Drone Competition, October 8, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) is excited to announce the Design-Build-Vertical Flight (DBVF) 2024-2025 Student Competition Request for Proposal is now online at www.vtol.org/fly. [PDF]
Press Release: 2024 Student Design Winners, September 12, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society today announces the winners of its 40th Annual Student Design Competition. The team of University of Maryland took first place in the Graduate category and Georgia Institute of Technology/US Military Academy in the Undergraduate category. In addition, the Military Institute of Technology (Bangladesh) took Best New Undergraduate Entrant honors. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Co. was the sponsor of this year’s competition, supporting a total of $12,500 in prize money. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces 8th Advanced Air Mobility Infrastructure Workshop, August 28, 2024
On Sept. 17-18, 2024, the Vertical Flight Society (VFS) is hosting its 8th Workshop on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Infrastructure at the US Navy Memorial Visitor Center in downtown Washington, DC. The workshop is focused on understanding and developing infrastructure to support electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and is being held in support of the efforts by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and industry to develop eVTOL vertiports. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces RFP Release 42nd Annual Student Design Competition, August 19, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) today announces the release of the 42nd Annual Student Design Competition (SDC) Request for Proposal. The annual SDC sponsorship rotates between Airbus, Bell, Boeing, Leonardo, Sikorsky and the US Army Research Lab. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces 2024 Board of Directors , August 15, 2024
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Press Release: VFS Appoints Adithya Ramaswami as Chair of DBVF Student Competition, August 5, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, today announces that Adithya Ramaswami has been appointed to serve as Chair of the Design-Build-Vertical Flight (DBVF) Student Competition, effective Aug. 1, 2024. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces Winner of 2024 Alfred Gessow Best Paper Award, July 2, 2024
This year’s Gessow Best Paper is entitled, Scenario-Based Helicopter Flight Simulation of Accident-Prone Vortex Ring State (VRS) Encounters, by Eleni Sotiropoulos-Georgiopoulos of the Georgia Institute of Technology. [PDF]
Press Release: World's Longest-Running Aircraft Symposium - Oshkosh, June 18, 2024
More than 40 of the world’s leading electric aircraft developers and technology experts will be speaking at the 18th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium (EAS), hosted by the Vertical Flight Society (VFS). The event will once again be held online and in person in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on July 20–21, 2024 — the weekend prior to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture 2024. [PDF]
Press Release: Hirschberg Receives NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal, May 30, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) today announces that VFS Director of Strategy Mike Hirschberg has received the Exceptional Public Service Medal (EPSM) from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The prestigious EPSM recognition “Is awarded to any individual who was not a Government employee during the period in which the service was performed. This award is granted for exceptional contributions to NASA’s mission.” [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces the Winners of the 4th Annual Design-Build-Vertical Flight Competition, April 23, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) today announces the winners of its fourth annual Design-Build-Vertical Flight (DBVF) Competition. Texas A&M University took first place, University of Maryland took second and the Georgia Institute of Technology took third. VFS awarded a total of more than $5,000 in the competition. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Electric VTOL Directory Hits 1,000 Designs, April 22, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, announces today that the number of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft concepts being tracked in its World eVTOL Aircraft Directory has now reached 1,000 concepts from more than 430 designers. The directory is part of the VFS Electric VTOL News website, www.eVTOL.news, the world’s first and most extensive online resource on eVTOL aircraft and technology. [PDF]
Press Release: Vertical Flight Technology Leaders Head to Montreal for 80th Annual Forum & Technology Display, April 18, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) is holding its 80th Annual Forum & Technology Display (Forum 80) on May 7–9, 2024, at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal, Québec, Canada, focused on the theme, “The Future of Vertical Flight.” [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces 2024 Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarship Recipients, April 1, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society is pleased to announce its 2024 Vertical Flight Foundation (VFF) scholarship recipients. Scholarships totaling $120,000 are being awarded this year to 29 of the world’s most talented engineering students interested in vertical flight. [PDF]
Press Release: Vertical Flight Society Announces 2024 Lichten Award Winners, March 25, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society today announced the winners of its prestigious Robert L. Lichten technical award. The overall winner will be recognized at the Grand Awards Breakfast on Thursday, May 9, 2024, during the Society’s 80th Annual Forum & Technology Display in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [PDF]
Press Release: 2024 VFS Group Recipients of Its Prestigious Awards, March 8, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) today announced the 2024 group recipients of its prestigious awards program. Since its establishment in 1944, VFS Awards have paid tribute to the outstanding leaders in the vertical flight community and serve as a catalyst for stimulating technological advances. This year’s winners will be recognized at the Grand Awards Breakfast Banquet on Thursday, May 9, 2024, during VFS’ 80th Annual Forum and Technology Display in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [PDF]
Press Release: 2024 VFS Individual Award Winners, March 6, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) today announces the 2024 individual recipients of its prestigious awards program. Since its establishment in 1944, the VFS awards program pays tribute to the outstanding leaders in the vertical flight community and serves as a catalyst for stimulating technological advances. This year’s winners will be recognized at the Grand Awards Banquet on Thursday, May 9, 2024, during the Society’s 80th Annual Forum and Technology Display in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS to Hold World’s Largest & Longest Running eVTOL Symposium Next Month, January 16, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight technology, announces today that its annual conference on electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft will be the world’s largest event ever on the emerging industry. [PDF]
Boeing’s Panda Selected for 2024 Nikolsky Lectureship, January 3, 2024
The Vertical Flight Society, the world’s leading professional society dedicated to advancing vertical flight, announced today that Boeing’s Dr. Brahmananda Panda has been selected for the 2024 Alexander A. Nikolsky Honorary Lectureship. The Lectureship is awarded to “an individual who has a highly distinguished career in vertical flight aircraft research and development and is skilled at communicating technical knowledge and experience.” [PDF]
2023
Press Release: VFS Selects Competitors for Annual Student Drone Competition, November 21, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) today announces the selection of teams from 16 universities to compete in the fourth annual Design-Build-Vertical Flight (DBVF) Student Competition. The 16 academic teams involved in the competition represent universities located in 12 US states, plus Canada, India and Malaysia. The selection marks the largest number of academic teams to participate in the DBVF Competition since VFS launched the event in 2021. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS 7th Workshop on Advanced Air Mobility Infrastructure, August 31, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) is holding its 7th Workshop on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Infrastructure on Sept. 26-28, 2023, in Cape May, New Jersey. Registration is now open for in-person and online attendance. [PDF]
Press Release: 2023 Student Design Winners, August 25, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society today announces the winners of its 40th Annual Student Design Competition. The team of University of Maryland took first place in the Graduate category and Georgia Institute of Technology/US Military Academy in the Undergraduate category. In addition, the Military Institute of Technology (Bangladesh) took Best New Undergraduate Entrant honors. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Co. was the sponsor of this year’s competition, supporting a total of $12,500 in prize money. [PDF]
Press Release: Forum 79 Gessow Best Paper Winner, July 17, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) announced today the winner of the Society’s prestigious Alfred Gessow Award for the best overall technical paper presented at the 79th Annual Forum and Technology Display. This year’s winning paper is from the Crew Stations sessions entitled, “Validation of a Motion Sickness Prediction Model via Flight Tests on DLR’s Bo-105 Helicopter,” by Philippe Petit of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). [PDF]
Press Release: EAS Features AAM Interagency Working Group, July 12, 2023
More than 40 of the world’s leading electric aircraft developers and technology experts will be speaking at the 17th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium (EAS), hosted by the Vertical Flight Society (VFS). The event will once again be held online and in person in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on July 22–23, 2023 — the weekend prior to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture 2023. [PDF]
Press Release: 17th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium to Highlight AAM Progress, June 14, 2023
More than 40 of the world’s leading electric aircraft developers and technology experts will be speaking at the 17th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium (EAS), hosted by the Vertical Flight Society (VFS). The event will once again be held online and in person in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on July 22–23, 2023 — the weekend prior to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture 2023. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces 2023 eVTOL Drone Student Competition Winners, June 9, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society today announces the winners of its third annual Design-Build-Vertical Flight (DBVF) Student Competition. Auburn University took first place, University of Maryland took second and the McGill University took third. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Publishes Study on One-Way Attack Drones, May 4, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s oldest and largest technical society dedicated to enhancing the understanding of vertical flight technology, published an expansive report on one-way attack drones, also known as loitering munitions. The study, “One-Way Attack Drones: The Loitering Munitions of Past and Present,” finds that the origins of these weapons are more complex than often understood and that the market for one-way attack (OWA) drones has grown larger than expected. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces 2023 Board of Directors, May 2, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society, the world’s leading non-profit dedicated to advancing vertical flight, is pleased to announce its Board of Directors for 2023-2024. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces 2023 DiversiFlite Winners, April 18, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society today announced the selected participants for its inaugural DiversiFlite Scholars program. The three winners will be recognized at the Grand Awards Breakfast on Thursday, May 12, 2022, during the Society’s 78th Annual Forum & Technology Display in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The program selects promising engineering students interested in vertical flight at US-recognized minority-serving institutions (MSI) for an all-expenses-paid trip to the Forum. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Continues Record Growth, Exceeds 185 Corporate Members, April 11, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, reports today that the explosive growth of world’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft — plus significant developments in military and civil rotorcraft — have continued to expand its membership. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces 2023 Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarship Recipients, April 6, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society is pleased to announce its 2023 Vertical Flight Foundation (VFF) scholarship recipients. Scholarships totaling $100,000 are being awarded this year to 22 of the world’s most talented engineering students interested in vertical flight. [PDF]
Press Release: Vertical Flight Society Announces 2023 Lichten Award Winners, March 28, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society today announced the winners of its prestigious Robert L. Lichten technical award. The overall winner will be recognized at the Grand Awards Breakfast on Thursday, May 18, 2023, during the Society’s 79th Annual Forum & Technology Display in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. [PDF]
Press Release: 2023 VFS Group Recipients of Its Prestigious Awards, March 22, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) today announces the group recipients of its prestigious 2023 awards. For nearly 80 years, the VFS awards program has paid tribute to the outstanding leaders of vertical flight and served as a catalyst for stimulating technological advances. This year’s winners will be recognized at the 79th Annual Grand Awards Banquet on Thursday, May 18, 2023, during the Society’s 79th Annual Forum & Technology Display in West Palm Beach, Florida (www.vtol.org/forum). [PDF]
Press Release: 2023 VFS Individual Award Winners, March 21, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) today announces the individual recipients of its prestigious 2023 awards. For nearly 80 years, the VFS awards program has paid tribute to the outstanding leaders of vertical flight and served as a catalyst for stimulating technological advances. This year’s winners will be recognized at the 79th Annual Grand Awards Banquet on Thursday, May 18, 2023, during the Society’s 79th Annual Forum & Technology Display in West Palm Beach, Florida. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Selects Angelo Collins as New Executive Director, March 7, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, today announces the selection of Angelo N. Collins as its executive director, effective June 1, 2023. Outgoing Executive Director Mike Hirschberg, who has led the organization for 12 years, will be staying on staff in a supporting role as Director of Strategy. Collins will be only the seventh leader of VFS in its 80-year history. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces Spin-Off of H2eVTOL Council into HYSKY Society, January 20, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society is pleased to announce the spin-off of its highly successful H2eVTOL Council into its own independent nonprofit organization, the HYSKY Society. The VFS Hydrogen-Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (H2eVTOL) Council was formed in 2020 to promote the development and advancement of hydrogen fuel cell technology in electric aircraft, has grown to over 400 participants and has become a leading voice in the hydrogen-electric aviation community. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Continues Record Growth, Exceeds 180 Corporate Members, January 10, 2023
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, reports today that the explosive growth of world’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft — plus significant developments in military and civil rotorcraft — have continued to expand its membership. [PDF]
2022
Press Release: VFS Publishes “Multimodal H2-Airport Hub”, December 21, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, is publishing what it believes is the first white paper for multimodal hydrogen airport proposal in the world.
Serge Germanetti Selected for 2023 Nikolsky Lectureship, December 13, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society, the world’s leading professional society dedicated to advancing vertical flight, announced today that Airbus’s Serge Germanetti has been selected for the prestigious 2023 Alexander A. Nikolsky Honorary Lectureship. The Lectureship is awarded to “an individual who has a highly distinguished career in vertical flight aircraft research and development and is skilled at communicating technical knowledge and experience.” [PDF]
Press Release: Vertical Flight Society Hits 180 Corporate Members , October 17, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, reports today that it has continued to experience steady growth in corporate members during the second quarter of year, propelled largely by the continued expansion of electric aircraft developments around the world. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Report on Workforce, October 11, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) has today published the results of a groundbreaking study, “2022 Vertical Flight Workforce Report: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is Vital.” The study was conducted for VFS by HYSKY Society, both of which are 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organizations. The 28-page report is available at www.vtol.org/workforce. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS 6th Infrastructure Workshop Tackles Site Selection, August 30, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, reports today that it has continued to experience steady growth in the second quarter of year, propelled largely by the continued expansion of electric aircraft developments around the world. [PDF]
Press Release: 2022 Student Design Winners, August 22, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) today announces the winners of its 39th Annual Student Design Competition: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute took first place in the Graduate category and University of Maryland in the Undergraduate category. In addition, a team of four schools in Turkey — Erciyes, Eskisehir Osmangazi, Necmettin Erbakan and Samsun Universities — took Best New Undergraduate Entrant honors. Bell was the sponsor of this year’s competition with a total of $12,500 in prize money. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Electric VTOL Directory Hits 700 Concepts, August 16, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, announces today that the number of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft concepts being tracked in its World eVTOL Aircraft Directory has now reached 700 designs from nearly 375 companies worldwide. The directory is part of the VFS Electric VTOL News website, www.eVTOL.news, the world’s oldest and most extensive online resource on eVTOL aircraft and technology. [PDF]
Press Release: Vertical Flight Society Exceeds 175 Corporate Members, July 26, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, reports today that it has continued to experience steady growth in the second quarter of year, propelled largely by the continued expansion of electric aircraft developments around the world. [PDF]
Press Release: Forum 78 Gessow Best Paper Winner, July 19, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) announced today the winner of the Society’s prestigious Alfred Gessow Award for the best overall technical paper presented at the 78th Annual Forum and Technology Display. This year’s winning paper is from the Handling Qualities session entitled, “Toward a UAS Handling Qualities Specification: Development of UAS-Specific MTEs,” by Dr. Christina Ivler and Kate Russell of the University of Portland; and Drs. Anthony Gong, Tom Berger and Mark J.S. Lopez of US Army [PDF]
Press Release: 16th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium Returns to Oshkosh, June 24, 2022
More than 40 of the world’s leading electric aircraft developers and technology experts will be speaking at the 16th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium (EAS), hosted by the Vertical Flight Society (VFS). The event will once again be held in person and online in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on July 23-24, 2022 — the weekend prior to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture 2022. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces eVTOL Drone Student Competition Winners, June 6, 2022
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. [PDF]
Press Release: 2022 Board of Directors, May 2, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society, the world’s leading non-profit dedicated to advancing vertical flight, is pleased to announce its Board of Directors for 2022-2023. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces 2022 DiversiFlite Winners, April 20, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society today announced the selected participants for its inaugural DiversiFlite Scholars program. The three winners will be recognized at the Grand Awards Breakfast on Thursday, May 12, 2022, during the Society’s 78th Annual Forum & Technology Display in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The program selects promising engineering students interested in vertical flight at US-recognized minority-serving institutions (MSI) for an all-expenses-paid trip to the Forum. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Continues Record Growth, Exceeds 170 Corporate Members, April 7, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, reports today that it has continued to experience record growth this quarter, propelled largely by the continued expansion of electric aircraft developments around the world. [PDF]
Press Release: Vertical Flight Society Announces 2022 Lichten Award Winners, April 6, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society today announced the winners of its prestigious Robert L. Lichten technical award. The overall winner will be recognized at the Grand Awards Breakfast on Thursday, May 12, 2022, during the Society’s 78th Annual Forum & Technology Display in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Announces 2022 Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarship Recipients, April 1, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society is pleased to announce its 2022 Vertical Flight Foundation (VFF) scholarship recipients. Scholarships totaling $100,000 are being awarded this year to 22 of the world’s most talented engineering students interested in vertical flight. [PDF]
Press Release: 2022 VFS Group Recipients of Its Prestigious Awards, March 17, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society today announced the 2022 group recipients of its prestigious awards program. Since its establishment in 1944, VFS Awards have paid tribute to the outstanding leaders of vertical flight and served as a catalyst for stimulating technological advances. This year’s winners will be recognized at the Grand Awards Breakfast on Thursday, May 12, 2022, during the Society’s 78th Annual Forum & Technology Display in Fort Worth, Texas. [PDF]
Press Release: 2022 VFS Individual Award Winners, March 16, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) today announced the 2022 individual recipients of its prestigious awards program. Since its establishment in 1944, VFS Awards have paid tribute to the outstanding leaders of vertical flight and served as a catalyst for stimulating technological advances. This year’s winners will be recognized at the Grand Awards Breakfast on Thursday, May 12, 2022, during the Society’s 78th Annual Forum & Technology Display in Fort Worth, Texas. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Hosts First Hydrogen Aviation Symposium in U.S., March 7, 2022
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. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Electric VTOL Directory Hits 600 Concepts, January 21, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, announces today that the number of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft concepts being tracked in its World eVTOL Aircraft Directory has now reached 600 designs from nearly 350 companies worldwide. The directory is part of the VFS Electric VTOL News website, www.eVTOL.news, the world’s oldest and most extensive online resource on eVTOL aircraft and technology. [PDF]
Press Release: VFS Continues Record Growth, Exceeds 160 Corporate Members, January 14, 2022
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the world’s leading non-profit organization working to advance vertical flight, reports today that the explosive growth of world’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft plus significant developments in military and civil rotorcraft have continued to expand its membership. [PDF]