WEST CHESTER, PA — The American Helicopter Museum and Education Center (AHMEC) is excited to announce that it has selected the team from United Therapeutics subsidiary Unither Bioélectronique and Robinson Helicopter Company to receive the 2026 AHMEC Achievement Award. The award recognizes the team’s historic first flight of a piloted, hydrogen-powered helicopter—a significant milestone in the development of zero-emission vertical flight.
The achievement involved replacing the conventional Lycoming engine in a Robinson R44 helicopter with a hydrogen fuel-cell system, a lithium-ion battery pack to provide additional power when needed, and an electric motor. According to Mikaël Cardinal, Vice President of Program Management at Unither Bioélectronique, approximately 90 percent of the energy used during the flight was supplied by the hydrogen fuel cells.
Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D., Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of United Therapeutics has been a driving force behind the development of sustainable aviation technologies and is a past recipient of the AHMEC Achievement Award for her leadership in the development of the R44 electric-powered helicopter.
“Every year, we solicit nominations for the AHMEC Achievement Award, and this year it was evident that the hydrogen-powered helicopter team was the clear choice,” said Dan Newman, Chairman of AHMEC’s Board of Trustees. “We are proud to recognize this remarkable achievement and present the award during the museum’s 30th anniversary celebration on October 18, 2026.”
Established in 2009, the AHMEC Achievement Award is presented annually by the Museum’s Board of Trustees to an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution to the advancement of vertical flight during the preceding year.
Marc Sheffler, Past Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Achievement Award Committee, noted that Unither Bioélectronique and Robinson Helicopter Company join an impressive group of past award recipients, including the AeroVelo human-powered helicopter team, the Mars Ingenuity helicopter team, and Jeff Bezos for Amazon Prime Air.
The 2026 AHMEC Achievement Award will be presented during a ceremony at the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center on October 18, 2026, as part of the museum’s 30th anniversary celebration.
For more information, contact AHMEC at 610-436-9600 or visit https://www.helicoptermuseum.org/achievement-award
About the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center
The American Helicopter Museum and Education Center, located at 1220 American Boulevard in West Chester, Pennsylvania, is the nation’s premier aviation museum devoted exclusively to rotary-wing flight. Established in 1996, the nonprofit organization collects, preserves, restores, and displays historic rotorcraft, including more than 35 civilian and military helicopters, autogyros, and convertiplanes.
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