Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. and Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize (LEAP) organization representatives will announce details of a joint initiative that continues the historic relationship between the Sikorsky and Lindbergh namesakes, during a press conference Thursday at the AERO Friedrichshafen air show in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Sergei Sikorsky (photo), son of company founder Igor Sikorsky, is among the representatives of aviation’s “first families” scheduled to participate in promotional events to benefit Erik Lindbergh’s nonprofit group, LEAP. Other participants include members of the Wright, Zeppelin, Piccard, and Dornier families. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

Sikorsky Innovations, the company’s technology development organization charged with tackling the toughest problems in vertical flight, along with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, are co-sponsors of the LEAP forum April 13 at AERO.

Erik Lindbergh, grandson of aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh, founded LEAP to promote solutions to social, technical, and environmental challenges through prize philanthropy and education. LEAP awards the Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize to recognize those who are leading advances in electric aircraft technology, which this year will be awarded during the AERO show as part of the E-Flight symposium. The foundation is also responsible for the LEAP education program, in which student teams identify a problem in aviation and work collaboratively to investigate the issue and solutions.

“We are excited by Erik’s work to promote solutions to aviation’s toughest challenges through education and awareness,” said Chris Van Buiten, director, Sikorsky Innovations. “As Sikorsky Innovations continues to recognize and enable innovation, we applaud Erik’s unique and creative approach to inspire students to a lifelong passion for problem solving.”

Sergei Sikorsky, along with members of the Sikorsky Innovations team, also will be on site to promote the advanced technology research occurring within Sikorsky Innovations. This includes the Fireflyâ„¢ all-electric helicopter, introduced in July 2010. The Fireflyâ„¢ demonstrator is an S-300Câ„¢ helicopter equipped with a high-efficiency, 190-horsepower electric motor, digital motor controller, battery system, and
cockpit controls.

Sergei Sikorsky and Erik Lindbergh will discuss the history between the Sikorsky and Lindbergh families during the AERO press conference. Sikorsky also will provide details on the company’s drive for product innovation as it aligns with the LEAP Foundation’s initiatives.

Sergei Sikorsky recently was inducted as an honorary lifetime member of the Helicopter Association International (HAI) by its Board of Directors. Through the years, he has followed in his father’s footsteps to promote the advancement of the aerospace industry.

Sergei Sikorsky grew up watching his father build the famous Sikorsky flying boats and “Clippers” for Pan American Airways and other customers around the world. He remembers his first flight, at age 8, seated on his fathers’ lap in the copilots’ seat of a twin-engine S-38 amphibian. Later, with his father at the controls, the young Sergei flew in the first successful Sikorsky helicopter, the VS-300. During these years, the Sikorsky home was visited often by such aviation legends as the Lindbergh family, Colonel “Jimmy” Doolittle, Captain “Eddie” Rickenbacker, and others.

During World War II, Sergei served in a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter development squadron, and participated in the testing and demonstration of the earliest helicopter rescue hoists and flew in some of the first helicopter search and rescue missions. In 1951, he joined Sikorsky Aircraft (then known as United Aircraft) and held international marketing and manufacturing assignments for the next 41 years before returning to the Sikorsky Aircraft plant in Connecticut. He retired in 1992 as Vice President, Special Projects, and remains active with the company as a consultant.

Sikorsky Innovations is an agile, networked group of Sikorsky employees and industry teammates dedicated to demonstrating innovative technology solutions to the toughest problems in vertical flight. Sikorsky Innovations is pursuing a broad range of advanced technologies, including the X2 Technologyâ„¢ demonstrator, aware and adaptive aircraft systems, and optionally piloted aircraft.

The mission of Sikorsky Innovations is to develop and mature the technologies, products and processes that will redefine the future of vertical flight. The organization builds on Sikorsky’s nearly 90 years of innovation and will increase the scope of previous efforts by expanding collaborative arrangements spanning government technology agencies, academic institutions, other UTC facilities, and entrepreneurial businesses where research and product development will take place in cooperation with Sikorsky’s engineers and technicians.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., USA, is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture, and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., USA, provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.