Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

Managing Editor

The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) will hold its 11th annual Electric VTOL Symposium in Santa Clara, California on February 6-8. The conference is part of the not-for-profit technical society’s&nbsp;Transformative Vertical Flight (TVF 2024) event, which covers helicopters, advanced rotorcraft, drones, as well as eVTOL aircraft, and all aspects of the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector.
The Santa Clara location positions the gathering right in the heart of Silicon Valley, which has emerged as a fulcrum for AAM technology companies. <a href="https://vtol.org/TVF2024">TVF 2024</a> is expected to draw more than 600 attendees and features almost 150 speakers and <a href="https://vtol.org/tvf-2024-exhibitors/tvf-2024-exhibitors">37 exhibiting companies</a>, with two eVTOL models expected to be on display.
Among the speakers for the TVF 2024 plenary sessions are leaders from the U.S. Army, NASA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the French aerospace research laboratory Onera, and universities in the Netherlands and Singapore. The line-up also includes senior engineers from eVTOL vehicle developers Archer, Joby, and <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-12-13/aibot-partners-honeywell-develop-flight-controls-autonomous-evtol-aircraft">AiBot</a>.
The agenda for the eVTOL Symposium will be headlined by NASA associate administrator Robert Pearce and chief engineer Howard McKenzie, as well as representatives of the FAA, the U.S. Air Force Afwerx team, EASA, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Speakers also include Wisk Aero CEO Brian Yutko and Daniel Newman, chief technology officer of Honeywell’s AAM business unit. Other presentations focused on the eVTOL sector will include contributions from Air, Alaka’i Technologies, Beta Technologies, Dufour Aerospace, Elroy Air, Jaunt Air Mobility, MightyFly, Overair, Piasecki Aircraft, and Pivotal. The symposium will include a short course on eVTOL design led by vertical lift engineering veteran James Wang.
VFS has been a strong advocate for the AAM sector since 2014, with its World eVTOL Aircraft Directory now tracking more than 950 different eVTOL concepts from more than 400 companies. It has significantly expanded the scope of its activities since transitioning from its original incarnation as the American Helicopter Society, which was founded back in 1943.
“TVF 2024 will showcase the latest eVTOL developments and challenges that remain,” said VFS executive director Angelo Collins. “VFS has been instrumental in bringing the community together and developing broad research, investment, and regulatory support for eVTOL developments over the past decade. We are very proud of the progress shown by our corporate members, as well as our members in academia and government agencies around the world.”
Later this year, from May 7-9, VFS will hold its 80th <a href="https://vtol.org/forum">Annual Forum &amp; Technology Display</a>&nbsp;in Montreal, Canada.
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Charles Alcock

The Vertical Flight Society has been a strong advocate for the advanced air mobility sector for more than a decade. (Image: NASA)

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