UFlyMike

UFlyMike makes products that turn consumer headphones into aviation headsets. It works with Bose and Sony noise reducing headphones. The company is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Its main product line is called HARMONY.

The company was started in 2005 by Michael and Debra Lackey. Mike was an Air Force pilot for 25 years. He flew the CH-53, the UH-1 gunship, the F-15E and the AWACS. He left the service in 1996 to fly the Boeing 737 for Southwest Airlines. Debra was a military spouse who later turned to crafting and costuming.

The idea came from his own headset trouble. While at Southwest, Mike found most headsets were large and heavy or small and poor at protecting hearing. None were comfortable on long flights. He began to join consumer headphones to his company issued Plantronics T-30 headset.

In 2004, Bose released the QuietComfort 2, an active noise reduction headphone with a removable cord. Mike used its detachable cable on his T-30. He liked the result and used it as his main headset. Other pilots noticed it and told him to sell it.

A friend who was an electrical engineer and owned a machine shop helped design and make the housings. Mike tested the prototype in the cockpit. He and Debra then began production at home. UFlyMike shipped its first products in May 2005, with 80 pre-orders.

The headsets sold well with commercial pilots, and the company grew fast. Mike retired from Southwest in December 2006 to help run the business. Their son Brandon, who has a degree in technical audio, joined in January 2007. In 2008 Brandon and Debra took over daily operations.

The UFlyMike website shows the HARMONY system, including a 3.5 mm application cable. It has a support page with a knowledgebase and a ticket form for general questions, orders and technical help.