Tab 1.2.1 Aircraft Pilot Training.RFI_FINAL COPY AVS-SM-Sa - 4-14-25.RL Revwd.docx

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION/SOURCES SOUGHT FOR

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION

AIR AND MARINE OPERATIONS

AIRCRAFT PILOT TRAINING

I. PURPOSE

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Air and Marine Operations (AMO), Office of Training, Safety and Standards (TSS) is conducting market research to gain a greater understanding of industry capabilities to support aircraft specific pilot training services in a variety of Rotor Wing (RW) helicopters and Fixed Wing (FW) airplanes and other generic pilot training.

1.0 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI), SOURCES SOUGHT (SS) ONLY. This RFI/SS is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation (RFQ), Invitation for Bids (IFB) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. The request does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service nor does it intend to award a contract based on this RFI/SS. Further, CBP is not seeking an RFP and will not accept any related unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that the Government will not pay for any information, or any administrative costs incurred in response to the RFI/SS. All associated costs will be solely at the responding party’s expense. Information and materials provided in response to this RFI/SS will not be returned. No unsolicited proposals related to this RFI/SS will be accepted. Classified information is not required and shall not be submitted. Not responding to the RFI/SS will not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if one is issued. Based on the response to this RFI/SS, a determination to compete or not to compete a future procurement is solely within the discretion of the U.S. Government. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Systems for Award Management (SAM) website. It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor the site for additional information pertaining to the requirements described herein.

2.0 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Training, Safety, and Standards (TSS) is a directorate of CBP’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO) Component. TSS ensures that all field offices meet established operational and training standards in compliance with national policies and directives. TSS is responsible to provide personnel with comprehensive aviation law enforcement training with emphasis on tactics and safety, enhancing the standardization and national interoperability of aircraft and aircraft crews; and further enable the efficient use of resources. This request for information (RFI/SS) is an informational exercise intended to seek our supply sources for an upcoming requirement for satisfactory aircraft training resources/facilities to afford continuity in aircraft pilot training services.

These training services must comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations and among the FAA certified providers in accordance with Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, commonly known as the Federal Aviation Regulations, or for the purposes of this RFI/SS, the FAA-FAR. Aircraft may be introduced or eliminated from fleet service and/or numbers of pilots for training may increase or decrease as mission requirements dictate.

3.0 REQUESTED INFORMATION

The responses shall address the company’s experience with providing aircraft pilot training. Respondents are required to review our requirement information and submit its capability statements via email. The submission shall be made to the Contract Specialist (CS) Rosalind Lawrence at Rosalind.L.Lawrence@cbp.dhs.gov. Respondent capability submission should include:

1. Company's name

2. Company address

3. Point(s) of contact (name, title, e-mail, and phone number)

4. Business type and size (manufacturer or distributor, small or large business)

5. List services supported by matching name, type, and description, as described.

Vendor responses are limited to a maximum of 15 pages. Proof of certifications are excluded from page limitation.

All pages shall be appropriately numbered and identified by the complete company name, date, and referenced RFI number listed in the header and page numbers in the footer (e.g. 6 of 6). Page size shall be no greater than 8 1/2" x 11." The top, bottom, left and right margins shall be a minimum of one inch each. Font size shall be no smaller than 12-point. Arial or Times New Roman fonts are required. Characters shall be set at no less than normal spacing and 100% scale. Tables and illustrations may use a reduced font size not less than 8-point and may be landscape. Line spacing shall be set at no less than single space. Each paragraph shall be separated by at least one blank line. Page numbers, company logos, and headers and footers may be within the page margins ONLY, and are not bound by the 12-point font requirement.

All responses shall be submitted electronically. Responses should be identified with RFI-CBP-XXXX.

5.0 INDUSTRY COMMUNICATIONS

All technical comments, inquiries, questions and responses should be in writing by e-mail to the CBP Procurement Office contact: Rosalind.L.Lawrence@cbp.dhs.gov no later than fourteen (14) days after posting of the RFI/SS. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. All questions and responses will be posted to the SAM.gov website. Questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after the fourteen (14) day window of the posting will be answered.

II. AIRCRAFT TRAINING SCOPE/REQUIREMENTS

The requirement for aircraft specific pilot training services is for a variety of Rotor Wing (RW) helicopters and Fixed Wing (FW) airplanes. These training services must comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations and among the FAA certified providers in accordance with Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, commonly known as the Federal Aviation Regulations, or for the purposes of this RFI/SS, the FAA-FAR.

CBP is seeking to determine industry’s capabilities in submitting competitive proposals for Aircraft Pilot Training services as it relates to this RFI. Sections A – F below shall be addressed in the response:

A. AMO seeks the following courses and annual quotas:

RFI Respondents must demonstrate that they can perform all courses associated with each respective aircraft type. Offerors not able to perform each training type listed under an aircraft will not be considered capable of performing training for that aircraft. Example: if responding with capability to train KA-350 Fusion, offeror must be able to provide initial, recurrent, initial fusion to PL21 differences, and recurrent to PL21 differences. For each aircraft type and associated variant, offeror shall provide training for initial, recurrent and differences at the same location. Offeror shall have year-round dedicated aircraft and/or simulators for each aircraft type and variant listed. Aircraft and/or simulators that can be configured to represent a different variant but are not configured in that variant’s state year-round, are not acceptable.

Aircraft may be introduced or eliminated from fleet service and/or numbers of pilots for training may increase or decrease as mission requirements dictate.

Offerors shall demonstrate they are able to make courses available for AMO pilots when AMO schedulers request the course slots within the following timelines:

· Three months after the date of original request for an aircraft recurrent.

· Four months after the date of original request for an aircraft initial.

· Four months after the date of original request for all other courses.

B. AMO seeks aircraft specific, commercially available, off-the-shelf courses of instruction. RFI respondents must demonstrate that they can provide such course requirements which shall include:

1. Initial/transition/aircraft type rating FAA-FAR Part 61.31 or 61.63 as appropriate to the pilot’s certificate.

2. Annual//recurrent/Pilot-in-command proficiency check in accordance with (IAW) FAA-FAR Parts 61.56, 61.57 (d), and 61.58 as applicable.

Note: Military RW course requirements may include:

· Maintenance Check/Functional Check pilot courses.

· Instructor Pilot courses – not to be confused with FAA Flight Instructor Certification.

C. RFI respondents must demonstrate that they can perform Generic Training which may consist of:

1. Flight Reviews IAW FAA-FAR Part 61.56.

2. Instrument Proficiency Checks IAW FAA-FAR Part 61.57(d).

3. High Altitude Training IAW FAA-FAR Part 61.31(g).

4. Night Vision Goggle (NVG) ground and flight training and logbook/certification/endorsement for pilot in command and Flight Instructors per FAA-FAR Part 61.195 (k)

D. The RFI respondents must demonstrate capability to conduct flight training in aircraft, flight training devices, and simulators that are of U.S registration. Maintenance and operation of aircraft, simulators, and other training devices used must be in full compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations as appropriate to their Operating Certificate(s).

E.

If training is to be conducted in a simulator, the simulator must be adherent to FAA Part 142 standards. Simulators must be certified as Full Flight Simulator (FFS) Level D.

Training aircraft and simulators must have flight controls, avionics, instruments, and Global Positioning Systems (GPSs) that are modern and/or industry standard for that aircraft. In addition, the RFI responder shall have at a minimum, the following equipped on their training aircraft and simulators:

• AS-350 Aircraft/Simulators:

· Must have Garmin 530 or newer GPS.

• BE-200 Aircraft/Simulators

· Must have Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) enabled GPS able to perform or simulate Localizer Performance Vertical Navigation (LPV) approach.

· Must be able to perform or simulate coupled instrument landing system (ILS) approach.

· BE-350 Aircraft/Simulators

· Must have WAAS enabled GPS able to perform or simulate LPV approach.

· Must be able to perform or simulate coupled ILS approach.

· DHC-8 Aircraft/Simulators

· Must have WAAS enabled GPS able to perform or simulate LPV approach.

· Must be able to perform or simulate coupled ILS approach.

· PC-12 Aircraft/Simulators

· Must have WAAS enabled GPS able to perform or simulate LPV approach.

· Must be able to perform or simulate coupled ILS approach.

F. For aircraft regularly utilized and managed by the DoD (i.e. UH-60), the RFI responders shall be able to demonstrate that they are capable of conducting training to the following standards:

a. For the UH-60 and UH-60M, training conducted to DoD training standards and OEM best practices are considered an acceptable substitute for Part 141/142 training.

b. S-70 is an acceptable substitute for UH-60 and S-70i is an acceptable substitute for UH-60M.

c. Pilots receiving instruction for the UH-60 and UH-60M shall be taught to DoD and OEM standards, these courses do not have to meet the FAA Part 141 or Part 142 requirements for S-70/S-70i, but must meet industry, DoD, and AMO standards.

d. UH-60 and UH-60M Maintenance Test Pilot courses must be taught with advanced level academics with course topics covering the systems of the UH-60/UH-60M so the pilot under instruction, on completion of the course, is able to assist a mechanic in troubleshooting and determining failures. Maintenance Test Pilot courses must include a minimum of 14 hours of simulator sessions with student pilot(s) under instruction of knowledgeable UH-60 maintenance test pilot instructor.

G. Additional qualifiers/disqualifiers include but are not limited to:

1. Provisional Part 141 Certificates will not be acceptable.

2. Other FAA certifications/ratings/factors that would further assess the responders capabilities, for example:

a. Part 135 OPERATING REQUIREMENTS: COMMUTER AND ON DEMAND OPERATIONS AND RULES GOVERNING PERSONS ON BOARD SUCH AIRCRAFT.

b. Having a FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE per FAA-FAR Part 183) on staff.

c. Hosting an Airman Knowledge Testing (AKT) Center.

3. All anticipated facilities, equipment, courses of instruction, FSTDs, aircraft, staff, supplies, foreseeable maintenance requirements / capabilities, and the like must be open and available to the public at large for routine, year-round, business.

4. RFI responders must list, in response to this RSI/SS, the training location and address for each course/service offered.

5. For contracted operators, all anticipated facilities, FSTDs, aircraft, and operational locations must be on the FAA issued Part 141 or 142 certificate; copies of certificates and FSTD Qualification statements for proposed FSTDs, facilities/venues should be submitted in response to this RFI/SS.

6. For dual flight instruction in aircraft, all proposed facilities or bases of operation shall be located on public airports/heliports with crash/fire/rescue equipment/services available on or within close proximity to the airport/heliport for rapid response to an aircraft mishap; the RFI/SS response must contain the official airport/heliport FAA location codes for the airports/heliports proposed.

7. To ensure standardization of training, the RFI responders shall demonstrate that they regularly employ a small cadre of FAA Certified Flight and Ground Instructor pilots.

8. Positive supporting evidence and/or proof shall be required, i.e. FAA certificates and/or qualifications statements for prior DoD qualified personnel.

9. Respondent must demonstrate that they are capable of providing responsive scheduling support and administrative services capable of providing timely training records and prompt responses to training scheduling requests.

III. CONTACT INFORMATION

Contract Specialist: Rosalind Lawrence Email address: Rosalind.L.Lawrence@cbp.dhs.gov.

Contracting Officer: Stephanie Alexander Email address: Stephanie.Alexander@cbp.dhs.gov

IV. SUMMARY

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI/SS) ONLY to identify sources that can provide the above mentioned services. The information provided in the RFI/SS is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The Government has not made a commitment to issue a solicitation, and this RFI/SSI should not be taken as a commitment for future work or for a potential offeror to incur costs for which reimbursement would be expected or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor SAM.gov for additional information pertaining to this RFI/SS.