Mike Spears

Vice President, Industry and FAL
Airbus Helicopters Inc

Mike Spears, vice president of industry, joined Airbus Helicopters, Inc. (AHI) in May of 2013. He is responsible for all activities related to production, retrofit, assembly, customization and flight operations support of the multiple models of aircraft delivered in the United States by AHI. Mike also has responsibilities as a part of the overall Airbus Helicopters Industry team, implementing worldwide standardized and robust industrial processes providing agility and reliability in manufacturing.

Prior to joining the Mississippi team, Mike spent 14 months at Fort Rucker, Alabama, working for Army Fleet Support, a subsidiary of L3, as assistant field director at Lowe Army Air Field. In this capacity, he provided leadership and direction of maintenance for over 130 H-60 U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopters.

The majority of Mike’s career has been spent with Sikorsky Aircraft, a certified S76 Repair Station, in Troy, Alabama, where he retired as the general manager after 27 years. During this period, he held numerous positions related to production, production control, programs, and industrial engineering.

Mike’s early years in Troy were spent supporting several different aviation MRO activities including crash damage repair, modifications and inspections.

The last major program lead by Mike, prior to retirement, was transformation of the Troy Operations from a complete MRO shop into a fully functioning production facility manufacturing the MH-60R Seahawk for the United States Navy.

While in Alabama, Mike served on the Governor’s Board of Aviation Advisors and board of advisors for Alabama Aviation College in Ozark, Alabama.

Mike’s business education comes from Alabama Aviation & Technical College, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and Troy University. He and his wife, Tani, currently reside in Columbus, Mississippi.