1202SA22R9201 - Q and A.pdf

1202SA22R9201: Q&A

Q1a: I thought I read the answer to this in the Q and A but I can’t seem to find it now. My question is: If we have a required piece of equipment- for example an ATU- that was ordered but due to supply chain has not yet been delivered- do we add it to our weight and balance for contracting purposes but notate that it is not yet installed and is on a PO? In other words-accounting for the weight for contracting purposes but still being accurate as to what is currently installed on the aircraft. We are finalizing our submission and as I was doing my double check- I wanted to clarify this position to make sure we are accurate.

A1a: Submit the PO with the offeror proposal and insure it is part of the proposed weight.

Q1b: My DO has another question- For the Flight Rate and Fuel consumption charts you do not have our helicopter listed. We have a Bell UH-1H with the 703 Engine upgrade. You have the -

13 and the -17 listed. Which would you prefer us to utilize?

A1b: Utilize the -17.

Q2: Question 10 in the 1202SA22R9201-0004 Q and A ask if in the initial response to the

MATOC only CWN pricing is required.

The answer indicates only CWN Pricing is Required and pricing for Item 1 – 28, 34, 35 and 38 will be requested in a Task Order Request for Proposal to be issued after the

MATOC is awarded.

1202SA22R9201/0004 Helicopter Support Services (HSS)

Q10: It is my current understanding that in the initial response to the MATOC, only

CWN pricing is being requested/required. The CLIN/TORP (EU) items will be requested/solicited at a later date AFTER initial/Parent MATOC contracts have been awarded. I just want to confirm that if CLIN/TORP pricing is not submitted in the initial bid, that TORP/CLIN price will be requested/solicited post Parent Contract award, and that if TORP/CLIN pricing is not offered in the initial response, the offerer WILL have the opportunity to provide TORP/CLIN pricing at a later date/opportunity?

A10: Yes. Offerors will have the opportunity at a later date, but may provide the pricing with the parent MATOC HSS pricing workbook.

Please confirm pricing for Item 1 – 28, 34, 35 and 38 will be requested in a Task Order Request for Proposal after the MATOC is awarded.

A2: Yes, that is correct.

Q3: I’m writing in regards to the corporate arrangement of our company (from a legal standpoint), and how we would like to structure our proposal or response to solicitation

#1202SA22R9201-HSS-Type 1.

XYZ Helicopter Inc. (dba ZYX Helicopter) wholly owns ABC Helicopters, Inc.

We would like to respond to the solicitation with XYZ Helicopter, Inc. being the bidding entity while using ABC Helicopters, Inc. 133 and 137 certificates.

Question is, what would be the best way to address that XYZ Helicopter, Inc. is the parent company of ABC Helicopters, Inc. in a way that would eliminate potential confusion during the review process?

A3: This shall be clearly indicated in your proposal. It will be evaluated in accordance with the solicitation.

Q4a: In section B.45 Definitions, offerors are informed to compute Accident History Rate by dividing the number of flight hours by 100,000 and then multiplying the result times the number of accidents. However, the example equation provided instructs offerors to divide hours flown by 100,000, then divide the number of accidents by the result. Which formula should offerors use?

A4a: Accident criteria will be evaluated using the formula in the example.

Q4b: Furthermore, Attachment 24, Reference Number 31, requests offerors to provide total flight hours up to/during the past five calendar years, commencing from the solicitation date. Can the

USG clarify if this is the date of solicitation issuance or the date of proposal submission deadline?

A4b: Provide the total flight hours for the prior five years from the date of solicitation issuance.

Q4c: In section E.3(b)(2)(M), solicitation requests registration and airworthiness certificates are to be provided for each proposed helicopter. However, in E.10 Offer Submittal Format, there is no folder for registration certificates. Can the USG clarify where the registration certificates belong?

A4c: Place them in the Airworthiness Certs folder.

Q4d: E.9 Offeror’s Past Performance and Organizational Experience Reference Questionnaire have a few errors on the form, i.e. it asks to list number of contracts per year over the last five years, however, it only provides fields for 2019-2021. Should offerors use this form to answer the questions or will a revised form be released?

A4d: The form is editable. Use it to provide the requested information.

Q5. We will provide the following signed manuals in their entirety:

• SMS Manual

• Aerial Operations Policy Manual (AOPM)

• Corporate Crisis Management Plan (CCMP)

• Quality Management Manual (QMM)

• Corporate Training Program Manual (CTPM)

• site-specific Emergency Response Plan (ERP)

The question is, do we need to provide the entire manual of the following items?:

• Rotor Craft Load Combination Flight Manual (RLCFM)

• Repair Station Quality Manual (RSQM)

• Air crew Training Manual (ATM)

• Pilot Training Outline

A5. Proposals are to comply with the solicitation’s Section E, Solicitation Provisions and, in addition, submit documentation necessary to substantiate meeting a solicitation specification requirement.

Q6. CWN pricing is required as part of the parent contract due 1-27-2023, my question Is EU pricing required for the 1-27-2023 submission or will there be a separate due date for EU

(TORP) pricing? In short we do not want to miss out submitting EU pricing if its due.

A6. Offerors will have the opportunity at a later date, but may provide the pricing with the parent

MATOC HSS pricing workbook.

Q7. Section B.4 Helicopter Requirements (c) Weight and Gravity (1) (i) states: Where the weight of the helicopter (equipped weight plus pilot crew weight) does not fall within the flight manual’s weight and balance limitations at the minimum fuel limit, or, in the absence of, at zero fuel, then the helicopter shall be ballasted. The ballast weight shall be included on the weight and balance forms used to determine the helicopter’s equipped weight.

Can the language of this paragraph be changed to allow the inclusion minimum reserve fuel against the minimum empty weight of the aircraft (in the case of the UH-60 315 lbs. of reserve fuel) if it is beneficial towards meeting the minimum required empty weight of the aircraft (if it exists) as this fuel is required minimum fuel by the contract and also

FAA regulations?

A7. The language will remain.

Q8. Can you clarify the last sentence of B.10(b)(3): “Offeror’s must submit a plan on how they intend to comply with the completion of military messages both past and present and include a documented list of currently complied with messages for the type aircraft offered.”?

A8. The intent is for the offeror to communicate how they will integrate the information contained in the military message after the offeror has the message, not how they will get the information. For example, will this be through an OEM, TC holder or Owner issued Service

Information that mirrors the data from the military directive or some other way to address the issue to their aircraft on contract with the Forest Service.

Q9: For clarity, is the forest service setting a minimum equipped weight limitation for the

UH60? If so, under what authority? We believe the Forest Service is questioning whether or not operators are capable of keeping their aircraft within CG if the aircraft in question is a lighter aircraft? Our UH60 flight manual states under limitations, when operating with a light cabin load or no load, it may be necessary to adjust fuel load to remain within aft CG limits.

A9: The Forest Service has specified a requirement of a minimum equipped weight standard, of which the purpose is to provide the government assurance that operations are being conducted in accordance with the Federal Aviation Regulations.

Q10: B.4 (c) (1) (i) – Our UH60 flight manual does not state a minimum fuel limit. Our company SOP states to not operate the aircraft with less than 400 pounds of fuel at any time.

Can we include the fuel minimum in our equipped weight in order to fall within the flight manuals weight and balance limitations per the solicitation?

A10: No. The equipped weight does not include flight crew, passengers, baggage, cargo or fuel

(other than unusable fuel noted via the weighing record). When configured for external load operations, the equipped weight shall not include any jettisonable equipment.

Q11: Para. B.4(c) States:

“(c) Weight and Center of Gravity:

(1) All helicopters shall be configured so that the weight and center of gravity will remain within the FAA approved Flight Manual published limits for all load requirements and full range of fuel conditions, including ferry with minimum crew without subtraction or addition of ballast.

(i) Where the weight of the helicopter (equipped weight plus pilot crew weight) does not fall within the flight manual’s weight and balance limitations at the minimum fuel limit, or, in the absence of, at zero fuel, then the helicopter shall be ballasted. The ballast weight shall be included on the weight and balance forms used to determine the helicopter’s equipped weight.”

Question Posed:

1. Is the equipped weight (“…Equipped weight plus pilot crew weight…”) mentioned in the paragraph intended to include all equipment required in a particular configuration for the mission being conducted? ie. During ferry flight, the weight of the bucket, line, and suspension hardware are stowed in the cabin and are calculated into the weight and balance calculations to determine if the aircraft is within limitations. During fire suppression operations, the bucket, line, and suspension hardware are connected to the cargo hook and are calculated into the weight and balance calculations to determine if the aircraft is within limitations.

A11: The H60 flight manual indicates that, in order to comply with the specification, the

Helicopter Equipped Weight cannot be less than 11,100 lbs. The weight and balance forms

(forms a, b, c) shall indicate the Helicopter Equipped Weight and document any necessary ballast to conform to an equipped weight of no less than 11,100 lbs. The equipped weight does not include flight crew, passengers, baggage, cargo or fuel (other than unusable fuel noted via the weighing record). When configured for external load operations, the equipped weight shall not include any jettisonable equipment.

Q12: Please reconsider accepting an AS332L2 as a modern aircraft in the upcoming Type I bid.

Why is a 1990 AS332L1 considered a modern aircraft and a 2000 AS332L2 isn’t? Both can be considered AC215’s with different options.

A12: Submit your proposal and it will be evaluated in accordance with the solicitation.