Over 1,000 Experts, Innovators Attend Three-Day Gathering

By Rex Alexander

Founded in 1943, the Vertical Flight Society (VFS) held its 81st Annual Forum last week in Virginia Beach, Virginia, bringing together a global community of leading experts and innovators in vertical flight and aerospace technology.

VFS officials indicated that this year’s 3-day forum exceeded 1,000 attendees and represented some of the highest caliber of cutting-edge vertical flight experts and entrepreneurs from around the globe. According to officials 262 technical papers were presented in conjunction with 60 invited speakers, 9 in-depth special sessions, and 66 exhibitors from industry, government, and academia.

To cap off the event, VFS held a tour of the nearby NASA Langley Research Center.

According to officials, noticeably absent from this year’s conference were nearly 200 past representatives from the FAA, NASA, and the U.S. Department of Defense. This lack of participation sparked concern among many at the forum, especially in light of some of the recent safety and technology shortcomings highlighted by the current administration as it relates to the country’s aviation transportation system.

Many expressed hope that federal restrictions preventing government aviation officials from attending such collaborative events would soon be lifted, allowing for broader engagement in future forums focused on safety and innovation.

Looking ahead the next major event for the Vertical Flight Society will be their 17th annual Electric Aircraft Symposium which is scheduled to take place in Oshkosh, Wisconsin July 19th and 20th, the weekend prior to the week-long EAA AirVenture fly-in and conference.

FMI:  vtol.org/