Mike Figard

Experience

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  United States Air Force

  Jan 1996 - Jan 2004

  USAF Officer

  C/KC-135 Avionics Systems EngineerTinker Air Force BaseOklahoma City, OKProvided Systems Engineering service in the modification, upgrade and maintenance of the C/KC-135 fleet of 600 aircraft. Involved in aincraft modifications that include TCAS II, EGPWS, Weather Radar, Pacer CRAG, FDR/CVR, INS/GPS, OC-135B OPEN SKIES upgrade, Fuel Management Advisory Computer, ELT and radio upgrades. I continued my military service as a Reservist for four years after separating from the USAF. Show less

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  Naples Air Center

  Jan 2000 - Oct 2000

  Certified Flight Instructor

  Cerified Flight Instructor--Single Engine Aircraft--Multi-Engine Aircraft--Instrument Airplane

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  Ambassador Airways

  Oct 2000 - Apr 2001

  Certified Flight Instructor

  Certified Flight Instructor --Single Engine Aircraft --Multi-Engine Aircraft --Instrument Airplane

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  Mesaba Airlines

  Apr 2001 - Apr 2003

  Airline Pilot

  First Officer on Saab 340B and Avro 146-RJ85 within the Northwest Airlines Route Structure.

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  Smiths Aerospace

  Jan 2003 - Jan 2006

  Lead Avionics Systems Engineer

  Avionics Systems Engineer --Systems Lead--B-1B Flight Data Recorder/Cockpit Voice Recorder--Systems Engineer--Flight Data Recorder (C-17, F-15, F-16, Boeing 787), --Developmental and Verification Test Lead--Boeing 767 Tanker--Systems Lead--Boeing 787 Common Core System processor upgrade. Specialized in Requirements Management and Requirements Based Verification Testing.

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  Astronautics Corporation of America

  Apr 2006 - Sept 2009

  - Engineering Manager for a department of 22 Systems Engineers in the development of complex avionics systems including Electronic Flight Bag, Electronic Flight Instrumentation, aircraft network servers, and cockpit upgrades. - Responsible for maturing and deploying corporation wide formal requirements management process to harmonize existing hardware and software development processes with a systems engineering approach. - Avionics Systems Engineer for aircraft modifications and avionics systems. - Aircraft modifications include C-130 Aircraft Modernization Program and Boeing 787 Electronic Flight Bag (Systems Lead). - Responsible for requirements management, requirements verification and integration testing and providing on-site customer support for aircraft integration activities.

  • Manager, Systems Design Department

    Nov 2007 - Sept 2009

  • Senior Avionics Systems Engineer

    Apr 2006 - Nov 2007
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  GE Aviation

  Sept 2009 - Nov 2024

  - Leader in emerging technologies, advanced systems concept development, architecture and strategies for evolving existing products, development of new products, and application/integration of multiple systems that provide benefit and value to GE Aviation Systems and its customers.- Broad knowledge and technical leadership in commercial and military compute, flight management, aircraft secondary power distribution, and display platforms with detailed focus on human factors, novel/improved operational/functional concepts and integrated systems architecture. - Technical focal for Urban Air Mobility/Advanced Air Mobility (UAM/AAM) architecture/infrastructure and Single Pilot/Reduced Crew Operations. - Organized and directed multi-site GE Aviation Systems UAS/UAV Flight Operations with formal flight demonstrations for NASA, FAA, and Air Force Research Labs. Show less - Display System Leader of 30+ person multi-national Cockpit Display Systems team (US, UK, China) for the Chinese COMAC 919 150 seat airline transport aircraft development program. - Determined and managed project priorities/milestones and resolved technical challenges associated with CDS architecture, requirements generation/management, and integration with other aircraft systems in an IMA environment. - Primary liaison to customer senior leadership through daily technical discussions (Joint Development Phase), customer reviews, and multi-supplier collaboration. Show less

  • Senior Technology Leader

    Dec 2021 - Nov 2024

  • Senior Technical Leader - Advanced Systems, Architecture & Emerging Technologies

    Apr 2014 - Dec 2021

  • COMAC 919 Systems Engineering Technical Manager

    Aug 2013 - Apr 2014

  • Human Centered Design and Flight Operations Leader

    Apr 2011 - Aug 2013

  • COMAC 919 Display System Technical Lead

    Sept 2009 - Apr 2011
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  Eagle's Wings of Hope

  May 2017 - now

  Co-Founder, President and CEO

  All volunteer team raising funds to provide free, executive-quality air transport to medical treatment for children, veterans and others. For more information see Facebook: @EaglesWingsofHope

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  Sparta Aviation

  Mar 2024 - now

  FAA Certified Flight Instructor (CFI/CFII/MEI)

  Providing Primary, Instrument, Advanced, Multi-Engine and Flight Instructor training with over 1100 hours instructing experience in over 30 aircraft models.

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  L3Harris Commercial Aviation

  Nov 2024 - Mar 2025

  Senior Engineering Leader - Displays, Navigation and Satcom

  Engineering Director responsible for development and sustainment of the Displays, Navigation and Satcom product lines

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  Acron Aviation

  Mar 2025 - now

  Senior Engineering Leader - Displays, Navigation, and Satcom

  Engineering Director responsible for development and sustainment of the Displays, Navigation and Satcom product lines