The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) has announced that its\nannual conference on electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft\nwill be the world\u2019s largest event ever on the emerging industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This 11th Annual Electric VTOL Symposium \u2014 being held Feb.\n6\u20138 in Santa Clara, California, as part of the VFS Transformative Vertical\nFlight 2024 \u2014 is the world\u2019s largest and longest-running event focusing on the\nincredible promise, progress and challenges of eVTOL aircraft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The overall TVF 2024 event \u2014 which covers eVTOL, drones,\nhelicopters, advanced rotorcraft and other types of advanced air mobility (AAM)\n\u2014 has a packed agenda with nearly 150 total speakers (in 3 tracks), plus 37\nexhibitors, including two eVTOL aircraft on display. TVF 2024 includes the\nSociety\u2019s 6th Decennial VFS Aeromechanics Specialists\u2019 Conference, which marks\nthe 50th Anniversary of the VFS San Francisco Bay Area Chapter’s first forum on\nemerging aeromechanics challenges and solution methods for future VTOL\naircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTVF 2024 will showcase the latest eVTOL developments and\nthe challenges that remain,\u201d said VFS Executive Director Angelo Collins. \u201cVFS\nhas been instrumental in bringing the community together and developing broad\nresearch, investment and regulatory support for eVTOL developments over the\npast decade. We are very proud of the progress shown by our corporate members,\nas well as our members in academia and government agencies, around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In aircraft development, aeromechanics encompasses the\ntechnical disciplines of dynamics, aerodynamics, acoustics and flight\nmechanics, all of which are strong drivers in the vehicle design process. Some\n70 technical papers are being presented in areas related to crewed and uncrewed\nrotorcraft\/VTOL aeromechanics, using conventional and\/or electrified propulsion\nsystems. This is the world\u2019s only event focused on advancing the understanding\nof aeromechanics of helicopters and other vertical flight aircraft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than 600 attendees are expected to attend the event. Details, including the technical paper presentation schedule, invited speakers and the exhibit hall floor plan, are posted at www.vtol.org\/TVF2024<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n TVF 2024 features a half-day opening plenary session with\nmore than 15 leaders from industry, academia and government addressing\ndevelopments in both aeromechanics and eVTOL aircraft. Plenary speakers\nrepresent the US Army and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),\nthe Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), ONERA \u2014 The French Aerospace\nLab, universities from the Netherlands and Singapore, and top aeromechanics\nengineers at AIBOT, Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The 11th Annual eVTOL Symposium then kicks off with VIP\ntalks by Robert A. Pearce, NASA Associate Administrator for the Aeronautics\nResearch Mission Directorate; Howard McKenzie, Chief Engineer and Executive\nVice President for Engineering Test and Technology, The Boeing Company; Dr.\nBrian Yutko, CEO of Wisk Aero; and Daniel I. Newman, Chief Technology Officer\nof Honeywell AAM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other sessions include top executives from leading eVTOL\ndevelopers such as AIR EV, Alaka’i Technologies, Beta Technologies, Dufour\nAerospace, Elroy Air, Jaunt Air Mobility, Joby Aviation, MightyFly, Overair,\nPiasecki Aircraft and Pivotal. Government speakers include representatives from\nNASA, the US Air Force AFWERX, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Defense\nAdvanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the European Union Aviation\nSafety Agency (EASA). <\/p>\n\n\n\n VFS has been the world\u2019s largest technical community of\nengineers, technologists and specialists developing vertical flight aircraft\nfor more than 80 years. A growing number of professionals are entering the\nvertical flight industry and VFS provides them with numerous opportunities to\nincrease their knowledge and exchange ideas. In addition to the presentations,\nTVF 2024 also includes its annual Short Course on Electric VTOL Design, which\nhas had a major impact on the development of today\u2019s eVTOL leaders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As of today, the Society has cataloged more than 950 different electric VTOL concepts from more than 400 companies and innovators on its authoritative World eVTOL Aircraft Directory at www.evtol.news<\/a>. When VFS launched the site in April 2017, only a dozen eVTOL programs were known to be under development. Neary 200 new designs were added in 2023 alone. The site currently also hosts more than eVTOL news stories, including more than 380 in-depth articles from the Society\u2019s Vertiflite magazine, the leading periodical on eVTOL and rotorcraft developments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n VFS has been at the forefront of what it calls the \u201cElectric\nVTOL Revolution\u201d since 2014 when it held the world\u2019s first meeting of the eVTOL\ndevelopment community. At the time, the idea of electric VTOL aircraft was\ngreeted with widespread skepticism, but growing technical progress, flight\ndemonstrations, government validation and private investment have helped\nreverse public perception. It is now recognized that the vertical flight market\nis poised for significant expansion over the next few years as eVTOL aircraft\nenter service that may be better suited than conventional helicopters for\ncertain missions, such as lower operating costs, lower noise and greater design\nsafety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n VFS was founded as the American Helicopter Society in 1943\nby the visionaries of the early helicopter industry, who believed that\ntechnological cooperation and collaboration were essential to support this new\ntype of aircraft. Today, history is repeating itself, with VFS playing a\nsimilar role helping to advance today\u2019s revolutionary eVTOL aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n