"This book presents an outstanding summary of the history and role of the AHS/VFS as the premier technical society assisting in the development of vertical flight aircraft. The Society’s focus has provided a relatively small subset of the aeronautics world with a community to address the unique technical challenges posed by a wide variety of rotorcraft and other VTOL configurations. It also describes how the Society has served effectively to help both developers and users of vertical flight vehicles articulate the need for investment in meeting these challenges." — Andrew W. Kerr, US Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate (ret.); member since 1963

"The co-authors have created an excellent, well informed accounting of the Society’s efforts — from the days of the slide rule to the reign of today’s computer systems. These efforts have involved advocacy, technical conference, and publications of vertical flight technology progress and utilization by industry, government and academia." — John F. Ward, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (ret.); member since 1960

"Rhett Flater and Kim Smith have created an historical treasure. Their book has comprehensively and accurately traced the intertwined growth of the AHS, the rotorcraft industry, and the military and commercial users. Their book is worth its weight in gold." — Franklin D. Harris, Bell Helicopter (ret.); member since 1960

The Vertical Flight Society was founded in 1943 as the American Helicopter Society Incorporated. Since that time, the world’s leading vertical flight technical institution has helped shape the development and operational capabilities of civil and military helicopters, rotorcraft and other VTOL aircraft. The Vertical Flight Society has an impressive legacy of advancing vertical flight, including support to important efforts, such as the rotary-wing science and technology base, the V-22 Osprey and civil tiltrotor technology, the initial development of the Joint Strike Fighter, Future Vertical Lift (FVL), and electric VTOL technology. Former Executive Director M.E. Rhett Flater and former Deputy Director L. Kim Smith have applied their combined 40 years at the Society to highlight the foundation of AHS, the development of the American helicopter industry, and the important role that the Society has served over its first 75 years.