History of the Chapter

Background

By 1970, rotor testing was increasing in the 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel. Jim Biggers encouraged several folks to seek an AHS chapter at Ames.

FOUNDING THE CHAPTER Letter to Harry Lounsbury, AHS Executive Director, June 1973: How to form a chapter

Reply: Form a Nucleus of Nine, elect a chairman, appoint other officers. Formation meeting held July 12, 1973. Nucleus of Nine Meeting Elected Jim Biggers Chairman

Appointed officers:

  • J.L. McCloud III, Secretary/Treasurer
  • Kip Edenborough, Membership Chairman
  • William Orr, Publicity Chairman
  • Dr. Henry Velkoff, Program Chairman
  • Plankholders (12 total): Jim Biggers, John McCloud, Kip Edenborough, Bill Orr, Hank Velkoff, Peter Talbot, Shorty Schroers, Robert Stroub, Gary Churchill, Bill Bousman, Dave Peters, Dan Dugan

First Activities

  • Started bank account, loan of $50 from John McCloud
  • NASA/AHS Specialists Meeting, February 1974
  • Membership April 1974, 95 members
  • First AHS Fly-In, June 22, 1974, Palo Alto Airport, Developers meet Operators
    • About 20 helos arrived, half civil half military
    • Many members got rides
    • Luncheon at Ming’s with operator speaking
  • NASA/AHS specialists meeting on rotor dynamics, February 1974
    • General Chairman, Ted Carter, Sikorsky
    • Technical Chairman, Bob Ormiston
    • Arrangements Chairman, Jim Biggers
    • 200 attendees
  • NASA SP-352 of proceedings Special issue JAHS with papers
  • 1974 Dynamics Specialists Meeting
    • Brave but inexperienced organizers
    • MANY meetings to organize
    • Full support of Ames management
    • Selecting general chairman and session chairmen
    • Announcements, addresses, AHS helped with this
    • Arrangements: auditorium, helpers, registration, hotels, helpers, dinner w/speaker
    • Speaker Time’s Up Notification System (STUNS)
    • Good attendance and participation

Further Chapter Highlights

  • R/C helicopter fly-in, Nov 1975
  • Helo fly-in June 1976
  • Dinner/lunch meetings almost every month
  • April 1976, 107 members
  • NASA/AHS specialists meeting on helicopter structures
  • May 1977 fly-in, San Jose flea market April 1978,
  • Specialists meeting on handling qualities, May 1978
  • 5th fly-in and picnic, June 1979
  • Fly-in at Ames May 1982, N. Cal. helicopter show and planning seminar, NASA, AHS, APA, HAI
  • 2nd decennial specialists meeting on rotorcraft dynamics, 1984
    • General Chair: C.T. Snyder, Kip Edenborough
    • Technical Chair: B. Bousman, Ray Piziali
    • Admin. Chair: John Foster, Shorty Schroers
    • Finance Chair: John Madden
    • Publicity Chair: Peter Talbot
    • SFBAC rep.: Marty Maisel
    • AHS Dynamics rep.: Don Kunz

National Awards to SFBAC Members

Grover E. Bell Award

  • 1999 – Tiltrotor Aeroacoustic Model Team
  • 1995 – US Army AFDD; NASA Ames UH-60 Airloads Program
  • 1994 – NASA Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex
  • 1993 – NASA Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex
  • 1982 – Dr. Wayne R. Johnson
  • 1981 – XV-15 Project Team

Howard Hughes Award

  • 2004 – Higher Harmonic Control Aeroacoustic Code (HART II) Team
  • 2002 – NASA Tiltrotor Aeronautics Code (TRAC)
  • 1991 – Dr. W.J. McCroskey
  • 1989 – AHS/NASA Rotorcraft Noise Reduction Team
  • 1982 – Dr. Frederic H. Schmitz
  • 1981 – Robert A. Ormiston 

Dr. Alexander Klemin Award

  • 1991 – Stanley Hiller, Jr.
  • 1985 – Dr. Richard M. Carlson
  • 1973 Paul F. Yaggy

Alexander A. Nikolsky Lectureship

  • 2001 – Richard M. Carlson Honorary Fellows
  • 1997 – William J. Snyder
  • 1988 – Andrew W. Kerr
  • 1974 – Dr. Richard M. Carlson
  • 1967 – Woodrow L. Cook

AHS Technical Fellow Award

  • 2006 – Dr. Wayne R. Johnson
  • 2003 – William G. Bousman
  • 2002 – David L. Key, Dr. William G. Warmbrodt
  • 2001 – Dr. Robert A. Ormiston
  • 1996 – C. Thomas Snyder
  • 1992 – Dr. Michael P. Scully