HELMOT XX Dec. 4-5, 2024

The VFS Southeast Region and the Hampton Roads Chapter will sponsor the biennial conference on Helicopter Military Operations Technology, now in its 40th year, on December 4-5, 2024. The theme is Vertical Lift Transformation Enabling Concepts

The conference will consist of 1.5 days of unclassified, unrestricted presentations held at the Newport News Marriott at City Center, Newport News, VA. HELMOT XX will combine interest in crewed and uncrewed vertical lift / rotorcraft research and development enabling increased warfighter capability. 

preliminary agenda is now available for download. Session topics include:

  • Autonomy Updates
  • Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA)
  • Human-Machine Interface

Registration: Register online or download a PDF copy.

 

VFS Member
before 11/1/2024

VFS Member
after 11/1/2024

Non-Member
before 11/1/2024

Non-Member
after 11/1/2024

Regular Attendee

$380

$480

$495

$595

Student:

Non-members must join first

$125

$150

N/A

N/A

2023 VFS HRC Scholarship Application

The Hampton Roads Chapter (HRC) of the Vertical Flight Society International (VFS) sponsors an annual scholarship to recognize and assist high school seniors who wish to pursue a college education leading to a career in STEM related fields such as engineering, physics, mathematics, or computer science.

High school seniors within the Hampton Roads Chapter Area (entire state of Virginia except Washington, D.C. metro area) are encouraged to apply. This includes, but is not limited to:
Chesapeake, Gloucester, Hampton, Isle of Wright, James City County, Matthews, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Poquoson, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, York County. Private and homeschool seniors are also encouraged to apply.

Three scholarships, $1,000 each, will be awarded to qualified recipient(s).

2023 VFS Scholarship Application

2022 TSEF Award Winners Announced

As it has for many years in the past, this year the VFS Hampton Roads Chapter presented multiple special awards at the Tidewater Science & Engineering Fair (TSEF). The Junior Division (Middle School) award winners received $200 for first place, and $100 for second place. The Senior Division (High School) award winners received $250 for first place, and $200 for second place. These awards are given to the students with the best projects supporting “the multidisciplinary fields of vertical flight, traditional rotorcraft platforms disciplines, and related support industries.”  The winners were judged to be the best versed with their work and performed the most unique experiments. Their teachers have also received a $100 award for supporting the STEM community and leading their students to these great achievements. Finally, the Tidewater Science Congress was also gifted $1000 to continue TSEF and help continue it well into the future. 

The Junior Division first place award winner was Nathan Shaw for his work on optical sensor performance under degraded visual environments. The second-place award winner was Gavin Fitzgerald, who investigated the performance effects of linear magnetic actuator arrangement. 

The Senior Division first place award winner was Erin Jones for her work studying the long-term effects of cognitive training. Her work investigated whether mental training tasks could improve cognitive performance in high schoolers. This work could lead to improved training for pilot focus and performance. Second place award winner in the senior division was Jack Shoemaker who investigated machine learning in weather forecasting. 

The awards were presented by the Chapter’s Education Director Dr. James Stephenson.