VFS Associate Technical Fellow
Nominate yourself or a colleague for a Associate Technical Fellow Award.
The Vertical Flight Society is pleased to open the inaugural Associate Technical Fellow nomination process. The Associate Technical Fellow (ATF) recognizes VFS members who have established a distinguished technical career and acknowledge individuals whose professional achievements, technical contributions, publications, and service to the Society have had a meaningful impact on the vertical flight community. VFS welcomes both self-nominations and nominations submitted on behalf of deserving colleagues - the ATF nomination process will remain open until September 31, 2026.
Associate Technical Fellows will receive a certificate and be recognized on the awards page along with other VFS Awardees.
Eligibility Criteria: download the Associate Technical Fellow Guidelines for more detailed eligibility and selection criteria informatiion.
- VFS Membership: minimum five (5) consecutive years beyond student membership.
- Sustained Service and Leadership: Candidates demonstrating ongoing committment within VFS through volunteer service and engagement e.g. participation and leadership in VFS technical committees, chapter, board of directors, technical council.
- Technical Publications and Professional Recognition: Candidates should be recognized contributors to vertical flight technology through authorship of technical publications e.g. Forum, Journal of the American Helicopter Society (JAHS) and technical meetings.
- Career Impact: Candidates should demonstrate a proven record of accomplishment in engineering, research, development, test, operations or other professional roles related to vertical flight technology.
Note: VFS Honorary and Technical Fellows are not eligible.
Selection Criteria: Download the Associate Technical Fellow Scoresheet to submit with the nomination. The scoresheet is designed to help applicants document and communicate how thier experience aligns with the established eligibility criteria .e.g years of membership, publications, committee service etc.
The ATF scoresheet helps applicants articulate their qualifications and provide a consistent framework for review. Numerical totals are used as a guide to document experience and contributions. Final evaluation is based on the overall quality, significance, and sustained impact of the candidate's professional achievements and service to the vertical flight community.
Supporting Documentation (Optional): Nominees can include other documentation that demonstrates the scope and impact of contributions. Examples of supporting documentation include publication citations, leadership positions, awards, technical accomplishments, or other records of professional contribution.
Log into your VFS account to submit an Associate Technical Fellow nomination - please use the blue button at the top of this page to log in.