DFCS News & Events

Election of New Board Member:  The DFCS held an election for new officers in November and Ron Tremain was elected to the Board of Directors.  Ron is an Executive Director for AIRBUS, specializing in U.S. and international government helicopter and UAS operations, business development, strategy, marketing and contracting initiatives. Prior to Mr. Tremain’s current role, he completed a distinguished career in the U.S. Coast Guard as one of the first elite Rescue Swimmers and was the first qualified Rescue Swimmer in Texas. His Coast Guard career culminated in 24 years of service throughout the contiguous United States and Alaska. During his career, he served and led dynamic teams across all aspects of search and rescue, maritime and homeland security, aviation, and crisis management, to include operations, program management, finances, planning, and execution. 

Election of Officers: The Board of Directors elected new leadership for 2026.  John Whiddon will step down from the Chairman role and take over as President/CEO.  The Chairman position will remain unfilled for the immediate future. Warren Eastman will continue as Executive Vice President and will focus on Chapter Development.  Michael Hays will continue as Secretary. Daren Sorenson will take over from Pat Owen as Treasurer. 

National University: The Board has contracted with National University's Fundraising Academy for facilitated training that will focus on strategic planning, a SWOT assessment and evaluation of board roles and responsibilities.  The objective is to provide the training that will assist the board with fundraising, board governance and business development.

Now in its 25th year, the International Military Helicopter Conference (IMH) is returning to the Novotel London West from 24 – 26 February 2026.  As the longest-standing and most respected forum dedicated to rotary wing capability development and cooperation, IMH 2026 will bring together the most influential stakeholders from across the global rotary wing community, including military leaders, operators, procurement heads and industry experts, to shape the future of vertical lift

https://www.defenceiq.com/events-militaryhelicopter/agenda-mc

Vertical Aviation International is holding its 2026 Verticon Trade Show in Atlanta, March 9-12.  Verticon is the world's largest annual trade show for the vertical aviation industry, formerly known as Heli-Expo. It brings together manufacturers, suppliers, and professionals to showcase new aircraft and technologies, attend educational sessions, and participate in forums and a career fair. https://verticon.org/