Alabama Congresswoman Martha Roby got a first hand look Tuesday at the manufacturing process for Lakota helicopters meant to train Army aviators.
Roby’s district — Alabama’s second congressional district — includes Fort Rucker Army Base, which is set to receive 187 Lakota UH-72A helicopters to train rotary-wing pilots. Roby toured the Airbus plant at the Golden Triangle Industrial Park where the helicopters are produced.
“It’s important to be able to see this process, not only so I can share this experience with my constituents back home, but also to share it with my colleagues in Washington to help ensure funds continue to be available,” said Roby, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee. “These helicopters are being used to train this country’s Army aviators, and that’s a big deal. Having the best equipment will define capability and readiness.”
As part of the Army Aviation Restructuring Initiative of 2014, the Lakota is becoming the primary training helicopter at Fort Rucker.
Rob Boman, Airbus director and site manager in Lowndes County, said the contract would help secure the company’s long-term future in the area. He said he was proud to have the congresswoman pay the plant a visit.
“We’ve had a very good success record over the years, and (Roby’s visit) helps establish the relationship of support we need to validate our program,” Boman said. “What happens after this contract depends on what the Army’s needs are. For now, we’re trying to get a quality product out on time and on budget.”
To date, Boman said Airbus has delivered 20 of the Lakotas to Fort Rucker.
A Dallas-based company, Airbus first came to Lowndes County as American Eurocopter in 2003. Boman said the plant began making Lakotas in 2006.
The plant has two assembly lines, one specifically for military contract production (the UH-72As) and a commercial line of H-125s used primarily for law enforcement and emergency services, according to Boman.
Boman said veterans make up 41 percent of the plant’s workforce.
The plant gleaned 10 percent of its workforce from a workforce development partnership with East Mississippi Community College, he added. Through that program, students complete six-week courses in avionics or sheet metal on campus before completing a six-month on-the-job training program at Airbus. Boman said the company hires graduates as technicians.
“It’s very successful,” Boman said. “Some of our very best mechanics come from that workforce development program.”
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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