The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) is in the final stages of\npreparation for the latest in a series of highly successful workshops focused\non advanced air mobility (AAM) infrastructure. The 6th Workshop on AAM\nInfrastructure will be held Sept. 20-22, 2022, in Dayton, Ohio, at the Marriott\nat the University of Dayton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
VFS is the world\u2019s only technical society dedicated to\nadvancing helicopters and other rotorcraft, drones, electric vertical takeoff\nand landing (eVTOL) and other AAM aircraft, and related technologies. As a\nglobal leader on eVTOL for nearly a decade, VFS recognized eVTOL infrastructure\nas a defining challenge in 2019 and has provide foundational support in\ndefining requirements and promoting understanding of the key infrastructure\nchallenges and means to address them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Rex Alexander, VFS Infrastructure Advisor, \u201cThe\noverall theme for this year\u2019s two-day infrastructure workshop will be centered\naround the recently published NASA whitepaper, \u2018Advanced Air Mobility Vertiport\nConsiderations: A List and Overview.\u2019\u201d The whitepaper, which is a direct\nproduct of NASA\u2019s highly successful AAM Ecosystem Working Groups (AEWGs)\nprogram, outlines over 500 different considerations for evaluating and\ndetermining vertiport site selection which were developed and compiled by\nnearly a hundred subject matter experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its continued pursuit to provide industry with tangible\nand actionable information, and unique to this year\u2019s workshop, VFS will be\nconducting six attendee breakout brainstorming sessions on Day 1. These high\nintensity, fast paced audience participation sessions, led by industry leaders\nand subject matter experts, are designed to perform a deep dive into six\ncritical areas. These areas include infrastructure cybersecurity, equity\nconsiderations, vertiport configuration, safety management systems, vertiport\narchitectural & engineering programing, and vertiport airspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Day 2, attendees will be given a full back-brief on each\nof the six brainstorming sessions from session leaders. \u201cIt is our hope, based\non the results from the Day 1 brainstorming sessions, to provide insight and\nguidance as to what our priorities for AAM infrastructure need to be and where\nresearch dollars should to be directed going forward,\u201d said Alexander.\nAdditionally, on Day 2, the workshop will conduct several panel discussions led\nby industry leaders on topics that include battery charging infrastructure,\nlocal perspectives, international perspectives, and hydrogen infrastructure at\nairports and vertiports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Alexander, the target audience for the workshop\nis fairly broad but at the same time heavily geared towards federal, state and\nlocal decision makers who will be responsible for the development of AAM\ninfrastructure policies, regulations, ordinances and codes. This includes such\ngroups as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), state departments of\ntransportation, local planning and zoning commissions, and city transportation\nheads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Day 3, VFS will be hosting a tour of the\nSpringfield-Beckley Municipal Airport. Tour highlights include the Beta\nTechnologies Portable Vertiport, Beta Technologies Simulator, FlyOhio Community\nVertiport Challenge, the Ohio UAS Center, Agility Prime Program Display, and\nthe Moog SureFly eVTOL aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n