Contact Information
HeliStorm, Inc.
Michael Kranitz, CEO
720.838.0700
michael@helistorm.org
Release Date
08-11-2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HeliStorm™ Opens Applications for Helicopter Industry Board of Advisors
Denver, US 11 August 2025 — HeliStorm™, a first-of-its-kind helicopter industry recruiting event, has announced the formation of its new Helicopter Industry Board of Advisors (“HIBA”). HIBA will consist of industry thought leaders and a cast of vertical-lift companies that wish to change the way the industry recruits new talent. According to former editor-in-chief of Aviation Week & Space Technology Magazine (“AWST”), Tony Velocci, HeliStorm™ “is the kind of inspired recruiting the industry needs to support—not simply as a recurring annual event, but as part of a broader, sustained outreach strategy.”
HIBA marks the beginning of that effort. With 15 currently open seats (5 are filled) for industry organizations, HIBA will provide guidance and modest funding to ensure the success of the second annual HeliStorm™ event, which takes place September 2-6, 2026. HeliStorm™ will serve as the epicenter for HIBA board members to meet with scheduled busloads of STEM students on the front grounds of the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio where 100+ pilots will fly and compete with 150+ models at the world’s largest scale radio-controlled helicopter event.
The 2025 HeliStorm™ event featured industry-leading participants, including Airbus, Bell Flight, Leonardo Helicopters, GE Aerospace and the USAF Academy. The 2026 event will feature a massive “Career Tent” that will house HIBA board members and vertical-lift workforce prospects. In addition, the event will also have a “Flight School” tent dedicated to introducing students to aviation and opportunities within the industry. Outside of those venues, all attendees will be immersed in the wonder and complexity of vertical flight. “By making tangible, hands-on engagement the centerpiece, RC models provide visual and physical interactivity, which is far more compelling than static displays or slick promotional material. Students can see the mechanics of flight up close and even pilot simplified versions, giving them a taste of control and precision,” wrote Velocci in his August 2025 AWST Viewpoint editorial.
HIBA will help shape the nature, scope and location of future HeliStorm™ events. Advisors will be asked to each contribute a modest annual grant ($5,000 - $15,000 depending on desired status) in exchange for a permanent and exclusive presence at each HeliStorm™ event during the year (longer vision has HeliStorm™ occurring at different venues throughout the year). The funds will be applied to the cost of promoting and operating the event. According to Kranitz, “HIBA members need only virtually attend two annual meetings and we will do the rest.” Companies in the vertical-lift industry can learn more about HIBA by downloading the Industry Memo at https://committee.helistorm.org.
ABOUT HELISTORM™
HeliStorm™ was founded by Michael Kranitz, a bankruptcy litigation lawyer turned entrepreneur. Kranitz, an Ohio native, has built and sold more than half a dozen companies to the likes of Microsoft, Ford, Hearst, MediaNews Group, Internet Brands, and HotelPlanner. He is also a published author and guest lecturer at the University of Florida and Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Business. Kranitz also founded Eventsquid, the company which powers the event’s registration software. Kranitz also designed and developed proprietary auction, scoring and mobile voting software for HeliStorm™ 2025. Kranitz has been flying model aircraft for more than 50 years and large scale model helicopters for two decades.
