As the Chair of the Vertical Flight Foundation (VFF) for 2015-2016, I would like to ask for your support in fostering tomorrow’s vertical flight talent. The VFF scholarship fund, administered by the American Helicopter Society (AHS) International, has awarded more than 450 scholarships to deserving undergraduate and graduate engineering students since 1977. Past recipients have made tremendous contributions to the technical community.

Through my long involvement with AHS International — including serving previously as the Chair of AHS and now as Chair of the VFF — I have seen firsthand the impact the Society has on advancing vertical flight technology, as well as providing professional development to the current and future workforce. The prestigious VFF scholarship program helps recruit and retain the best and brightest students for technical careers in rotorcraft. It is vital to our industry that today we invest in the great talent we will need to serve as our leaders tomorrow… and VFF does this.

This past year, AHS awarded $68,000 in VFF scholarships to 22 of the world’s most talented engineering students interested in vertical flight. Over the past five years, we have more than doubled the total amount awarded annually due to the sincere generosity of members like you. But we could do so much more. Our growth is limited only by our financial resources.

Now, we have made it easier than ever to support the most talented students considering careers in rotorcraft. AHS International has created a new webpage — www.vtol.org/vff — where you can learn about recent winners, see the impact that VFF has had over the years, see past supporters and find out more. Here, you can also make a donation to this worthy cause. VFF is classified as a 501(c)(3) charity, so contributions are fully deductible from US income taxes. In addition, 100% of your donation goes to the student winners, as AHS International covers all administrative and other fees.

Please join me in supporting the VFF scholarship program by giving to the full extent of your dedication. If you have already contributed, I challenge you to recruit others to support VFF. Consider creating a scholarship to honor or memorialize someone who has made a difference in your career or in your personal life, or work with your colleagues to establish an enduring scholarship fund. Please check to see if your employer makes matching charitable contributions, or ask if your company will make a charitable donation to the scholarship fund.

For more information on the Vertical Flight Foundation or to donate to this important cause, please check out the new VFF webpage at www.vtol.org/vff.