2020 VFS Webinar Schedule

View past webinars on our 2020 Webinar Archive page or check out all of our videos on the VFS Video Library page!

The Vertical Flight Society is hosting virtual technical sessions, workshops, presentations and interviews on timely and relevant topics in VTOL and eVTOL. These webinars are hosted either by VFS headquarters or by our chapters around the world. There are sponsorship opportunities for each of the webinars.

The programs provide important information to help the community continue advancing vertical flight.  

Mon.-Tues., Sept. 21-22: Short Course on Electric VTOL Design 1000-1400 EDT/1400-1800 UTC Instructor: Dr. James Wang Taught by Dr. James Wang, this course will provide an overview of the unique design challenges and opportunities of this new class of vehicles. Both electric and hybrid-electric passenger-carrying vertical flight aircraft will be covered for a variety of missions ranging from personal/private use to urban air taxis to regional electric VTOL bizjets.	Register Sponsored by:
Thurs.-Fri., Sept. 24-25: Short Course on Model-Based Systems Engineering 1000-1400 EDT/1400-1800 UTC Instructor: Barry Papke In this professional development course, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) expert Barry Papke provides a thorough introduction to MBSE. The course will cover systems modeling using the Systems Modeling Language (SysML) on day one and the Enterprise Architecture using the Unified Architecture Framework (UAF) on day two.	Register Sponsored by:
Mon.-Thurs., Oct. 5-8: Forum 76 The Vertical Flight Society's 76th Annual Forum & Technology Display is the world's leading international technical event on vertical flight technology. The virtual conference will span 4 days and include 230+ technical papers on every discipline from Acoustics to Unmanned Systems, as well as invited presentations and discussions by leaders in the military, government agencies and industry. The Technology Display, running concurrent with the Forum, is the most extensive exposition of cutting-edge vertical flight technologies in the world, and also includes other technologies more broadly applicable to aerospace in general. Leading manufacturers, service providers, defense agencies, universities, and research and development organizations will showcase the very latest in vertical flight technology in our virtual exhibit hall. Sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities are available on the Forum 76 event page.	Register
There will be a limited number of sponsorships available. Contact Jim Sherman to apply for a sponsorship and register. Platinum Sponsorship: $5,000 — includes logo on the program promotions, 2 minute video promotion at the start of the session. (Subject to approval and availability.)

Dr. James Wang has held several executive leadership positions, and has more than 30 years of experience in aerospace, helicopters, defense and high-tech industries. He founded Vtolwerke LLC in 2018 and offers private consulting services in aerospace technology strategy, marketing & business strategy, engineering advising, and eVTOL problem solving. He is an expert in helicopter and eVTOL aircraft design. He is currently also a full professor teaching aircraft and VTOL design.

Dr. Wang received his bachelor degrees in Aeronautical Engineering and in Electrical Engineering from M.I.T., and a Masters and a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland. After completing his PhD, Dr. Wang started his career at Sikorsky Aircraft, where he was known as one of the most energetic and prolific engineers and managers; he contributed greatly to the Comanche, Black Hawk, S-92 and the Variable Diameter Tiltrotor programs.

In 2007, Dr. Wang joined AgustaWestland as the Vice President of Research & Development, reporting directly to the CEO. Dr. Wang created a comprehensive technology roadmap and initiated many pioneering research. He established three University Research Centers in Europe and one Think Tank in Japan. In 2015, Dr. Wang was promoted to become the Senior Vice President of Marketing, responsible for the global marketing strategy of all AgustaWestland helicopter products at Leonardo Helicopters. He served 7 years as a board member on the EU-sponsored 2 billion Euros CleanSky programs.

Dr. Wang was invited to teach courses and give lectures in US, Europe, Australia and Asia, and he has written over 40 technical papers. He holds seven patents and major international awards, including Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, UTC Gold Mead Award, AHS Fellow, AHS Grover Bell Award, M.I.T. Luis de Florez Award, NASA Research Award, Italian National Innovation Grand Prize, and the Royal Aeronautical Society Gold Team Award. In 2013, WIRED Magazine named Dr. Wang “the Steve Jobs of Rotorcraft” for his ability to think “outside the box” and pushing the transportation technology boundaries by inventing and designing the AgustaWestland Project Zero, the world’s first all-electric VTOL technology demonstrator aircraft.

Barry Papke is the Director of Professional Services for No Magic Inc. He has thirty-two years of systems engineering and operations analysis experience in the aerospace and defense industry across the entire systems engineering lifecycle from concept development through integration, test and post-delivery support.

Throughout his career he has been actively involved in application of model based methods including requirements management, cost estimation, system design, and operations analysis. Barry has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from Steven’s Institute of Technology. He is currently a member of the INCOSE Agile and Security Working Groups and the MBSE Initiative. Barry is an OMG-Certified Systems Modelling Professional.