Born: United States of America
Primarily active in: United States of America

Chester D. Mayerson was an aeronautical engineer and AHS founder. Mayerson became a charter member of the American Helicopter Society 1943 and attended the Society's first Annual Forum (then the First Annual Dinner), held at New York's Hotel Ambassador on October 7, 1944. He served on the board of directors, chaired the Society's publication committee (Igor Sikorsky chaired the Technical Committee) and designed the original AHS hummingbird logo. In 1994, he participated in the Society's 50th anniversary "Founders Session", held at the Sheraton Washington Hotel and the Corcoran Museum of Art.

Mayerson graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1940 and served throughout World War II as an engineer with Bell and Sikorsky, where he worked both on helicopters and flying boats.  He joined Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory (later Calspan Corp.) in 1952. In 1971, he participated in design efforts for the Air Force B-1 bomber.  He later served with Northrop Corporation for 10 years, where he was engaged with the design of the B-2.  Active in local community affairs, he was a docent at Log Angeles County Cabrillo Marine Museum where he was a resident expert on whale migrations.

Chester Mayerson died of cancer on January 13, 1999, in San Pedro, California. He was 79. He had been a resident of Rancho Pales Verdes, California since 1971. 

AHS Update: Vertiflite Spring 1999