Founded in 1983, the Helicopter Foundation International (HFI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving artifacts, documents and recorded interviews associated with the history of vertical flight. It is a tax-exempt Foundation whose goal is to promote vertical flight's vital public role by fostering an appreciation of the industry's rich history of service. The Foundation maintains and carefully preserves the world's largest collection of helicopter scale models, memorabilia and documentation chronicling the history of vertical flight. The organization is governed by a board of directors comprised of leaders in the helicopter industry.