Advocacy

The Vertical Flight Society at Work

VFS works to affect change to advance the state-of-the-art of vertical flight technology and create recognition of the benefits of vertical flight. VFS leads advocacy efforts to Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, FAA and the public. We are leading efforts to educate the public and decision makers through our outreach to the media and Members of Congress. 

We have a proud legacy of work in support of the advancement of rotorcraft. 

• For Fiscal Year 2015, VFS successfully worked to get $14M of additional Congressional funding for Future Vertical Lift (FVL), as well as additional funding for NASA rotorcraft (see press release).
• For Fiscal Year 2016, VFS was successful in getting Congress to add $10M for FVL (see news release).
• For Fiscal Year 2017, VFS was succesful in getting Congress to add $11M for FVL and has gained broad support for the program on Capitol Hill.  
• For Fiscal Year 2018, VFS was successful in getting Congress to add $15M for FVL.
• For Fiscal Year 2019, VFS was successful in getting Congress to add $20M for FVL, and facilitated the addition of additional funds for FVL FARA and other rotorcraft research investments.
• For Fiscal Year 2020, VFS was successful in highlighting the incredible importance in investing in advanced technologies for FVL. Congress supported FVL with additional funds and we were able to largely ameliorate a cut to the FARA program.  
• Now, every year, VFS continues working to highlight the incredible importance in investing in advanced vertical flight, including FVL, advanced air mobility (AAM) and education. 

You can get involved, too! Contact your elected representatives and urge them to support research and development of advanced vertical flight technologies. 

• Promoting research and development investments: Investing in future technologies is essential to advancing the state of the art of vertical flight.
• Supporting the future vertical workforce: the Society has a long legacy of promoting education through scholarships, student design competitions and many other opportunities. VFS works actively to train and expand the workforce, including by supporting inclusivity, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA).
• Safe adoption of electric VTOL/advanced air mobility: VFS has been leading efforts in battery-electric, hybrid-electric and hydrogen-electric VTOL aircraft for uncrewed, piloted and autonomous flight for safe and efficient movement of people and goods. 
• Promoting safety: VFS has led safety efforts that resulted in the formation of the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) in 2006 — now expanded into the Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST) — with the ultimate goal of working towards zero accidents.  
• Reducing noise and noise complaints: VFS kicked off a noise initiative to study helicopter noise generation, reception and perception.

Vertiflite Commentaries

• September-October 2024: Strengthening Our Army Partnership “After successfully completing our 18th Electric Aircraft Symposium in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, your Executive Director flew directly to Huntsville, Alabama. Walking through Huntsville International Airport always makes me feel at home; it’s a place where advertisements for helicopters (and, yes, even Future Vertical Lift) cover the walls as you head to baggage claim, where you’re greeted with even more reminders of our wonderful Department of Defense (DoD) and the amazing efforts of our prime manufacturers and contractors to guarantee our security. It’s a place where really anyone who appreciates vertical lift and Army Aviation will feel welcome."
• July-August 2024: Forum 80 — Your Executive Director’s Perspective “Reaching a new decade is a milestone that any organization can pride itself on. The unbroken chain of Forums is now 80 years long, all thanks to the hard work and dedication that we all contribute to create the world’s leading international technical event on vertical flight. It really is something to celebrate."
• May-June 2024: The Evolving VTOL Workforce “The Vertical Flight Society leads advocacy efforts to advance vertical flight, bringing together members from industry, academia and government to tackle the toughest challenges. In this role, it is our responsibility to sound the alarm: the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft workforce is at a critical juncture."
• March-April 2024: The Resurgence of our Local Chapters “It is safe to say that the Vertical Flight Society’s regional chapter activities have been surging in the post–COVID-19 era. As you would expect, positive momentum slowed in 2020, with dinner meetings and in-person events becoming a fond but distant memory of days before. To combat the waning participation of our chapters, many executed a mix of virtual content and outdoor events, with a slow ramp up of in-person events starting in 2022. Understandably, some chapters saw little to no activity during this period. Thankfully, we saw a great resurgence in activity starting in 2023, with the momentum continuing into 2024."
• January-February 2024: Standing on the Shoulder of Giants — A Look at our Past Executive Directors “Many of our members have fond memories of Mike Hirschberg and Rhett Flater’s tenures as Executive Director of the Vertical Flight Society, but their recollection ends there. A total of six Executive Directors served prior to my tenure, all with their unique stories and accomplishments. Their hard work and dedication contributed to the Society’s growth and success, and I will use this commentary to share some historical facts you may not know."
• November-December 2023: A Vision for the Future of the Vertical Flight Society “VFS is doing a lot of things right, and we have been able to thrive and grow over the last decade. A priority of mine in the role of Executive Director is to manage the “business” of VFS, with the staff and our processes at its core. Only when you’re able to take care of yourself can you take care of others."
• September-October 2023: AAM: Once Impossible, Now Undeniable “VFS has been a champion for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technology — now grouped under the more generic moniker of advanced air mobility (AAM) — for more than a decade, with numerous events, short courses, articles and technical content produced for our members and the public."
• July-August 2023: Meet the Team — A Look at Our Staff “With tenures averaging more than 12 years, you are more likely to see a change in the US presidency than a change of VFS Executive Directors. Although it is a rare occurrence, it comes with renewed energy, but the same passion for advancing vertical lift. Rest assured that I will continue to work closely with the incumbent staff to ensure a smooth transition."

• May-June 2023: The Forum for Advancing Vertical Flight “The Vertical Flight Society is now celebrating 80 years since it was founded on Feb. 25, 1943. It has been an incredible honor serving as sixth VFS Executive Director, and it's been extraordinarily rewarding to be a VFS member for the past 27 years — one-third of the existence of the Society."
• Mar-Apr 2023: Lilienthal Was Wrong “German aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal said, “Designing a flying machine is nothing; Building it is something; Testing it is everything.”* I have used this quote for years to explain the state of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft."
• Jan-Feb 2023: Transitions: From 2011 to 2023 “At 5:15 pm EST on Monday, Dec. 5, the US Army announced the long-awaited Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) contract award to Bell Textron for its V-280 Valor tiltrotor."
• Nov-Dec 2022: The FLRAA Decision is a Turning Point “In November, the US Army is expected to announce the long-awaited decision on the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) competition. The result of 14 years of studies, demonstrations and government reviews, this selection will have profound impacts on the two competing teams, the Army and America’s allies."
• Sept-Oct 2022: An Uplifting Community “Whereas associations and other groups talk about the “helicopter industry” and the “vertical lift industry,” the Vertical Flight Society — a technical, educational non-profit — is here for the “vertical flight community.” We are not a trade association or a business league. We are the community of individuals, universities, companies and other organizations focused on the mission of advancing vertical flight."
• Jul-Aug 2022: FAA Changes Course on eVTOL Certification “On Monday, May 9 (the eve of the VFS Forum 78), The Air Current broke the story that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had decided that winged electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that met the FAA’s definition of “powered-lift”— a term used nearly exclusively for pilot qualification rules — could not be certified or operate as “airplanes.”"
• May-June 2022: An Expanded View of Electric Flight “From a technology and regulatory perspective, the expertise, domain knowledge and leadership that VFS has developed since 2013 is broadly applicable to all forms of 'small' electric aircraft. Much of the Society’s growth over the past decade is due to the pull from our members into eVTOL and other types of electric aircraft."
• Mar-Apr 2022: FVL — The Affordable Solution “With the start of the new year, the pressure of two unexpected crises gripped Washington — record inflation and unchecked Russian aggression against Ukraine. Simultaneously, the two US Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL) programs — the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) and the Future Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) — continued to make impressive progress towards their goals. FVL is a smart investment ready to deliver game-changing capability for warfighters with room for future improvements, without breaking the budget."
• Jan-Feb 2022: Workforce: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Too “VFS has published several commentaries and reports on workforce and diversity (see www.vtol.org/workforce), how we must attract more talent to vertical flight to meet the demand, and how being inclusive will help retain talent in our industry.... Not only do we need to address diversity and inclusion because of the business impacts, but because it’s also the right thing to do."

Commentaries between 2011-2021 can be found at Past Vertiflite Commentaries.