The American Helicopter Society (AHS) has officially changed its name to the Vertical Flight Society. The society is the world’s oldest body supporting innovation and technical collaboration in the helicopter and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft industry, as well as the world’s only international vertical flight technical society.

“The helicopter has dominated vertical flight since 1943, but many of our members are now designing, developing, building, and flying aircraft that are not conventional helicopters,” said Mike Hirschberg, Vertical Flight Society executive director. “We’re in an exciting period of transformation and disruption in the aerospace industry where helicopters are no longer the only VTOL aircraft in the skies.

"In fact, each of the five major helicopter manufacturers has dropped the word ‘helicopter’ from its brand,” said Hirschberg. “And each is currently developing non-helicopter VTOL aircraft for the future, including advanced tiltrotors and advanced compounds for civil and military applications.”