The Vertical Flight Society is the world’s oldest and largest technical society dedicated to enhancing the understanding of vertical flight technology. VFS is a non-profit, charitable educational and technical organization. Since it was founded as American Helicopter Society (AHS) in 1943 — just as the first US helicopter was being put into service — the Society has been the primary forum for interchange of information on vertical flight technology. According to the Society Bylaws, the purpose of the Society is to "advance the theory and practices of the science of vertical flight aircraft."