2025.04.16 HTC71125RC004 QA.pdf

Question # Par. Reference Quick Ref. Question Government Answers

2 PWS 1.1 PWS Pg. 1 “the aircraft may operate from an alternate location” Does the contractor or the government pay the repositioning fees, and what are examples of those alternate locations?

The Government will not pay repositioning fees for diversions. The contractor will bill under CLIN 002 for any additionally flight hours incurred. If any landing fees or additional costs are incurred the contractor is required to submit receipts using CLIN 004 Other than Fuel Reimbursable.

Alternate location could incur travel cost for contract personnel, will the government reimburse contractors for unforeseen travel expenses?

See response to Question 1.

4 PWS 1.3.1 PWS Pg. 1-2 What is considered advanced notice from the government?

In accordance with PWS 1.3.1, advanced notice for the government is 24 hours or greater.

5 Pg. 35 of RFP Sec. ii.F Can you specify which OpSpec forms are required? The DO85, A003, and B050 are industry standards.

Additionally, would a Bahama's CAA approval letter to operate in the Bahamas be required?

Yes the D085, A003 and B050 are the OpSpecs generally expected to be received. The Offeror should provide any other relevant OpSpecs for their aircraft and operations relevant to this solicitation.

The carrier must provide evidence that they can operate in the Bahamas.

6 PWS 1.2 PWS Pg. 1

Does the government require a pressurized aircraft? S. Forida and the Caribbean is notorious for storm systems. Pressurized aircraft have shown more reliability in this dynamic weather environment with the ability to fly over and around tropical storm systems.

In accordance with PWS 1.2, the aircraft shall be pressurized. The paragraph has been revised to clarify this requirement.

7 PWS 1.3 PWS Pg 1 What is the maximum number of flights required in a single day or week? Is there a limit on the number of flights under the pricing we submit?

The government does not have a maximum number of flights per day. Typical flight days are outlined in section 1.3 of the PWS with an additional flight being added mid-day on request at the 1130/1300 time slot.

8 PWS 1.5 PWS 2

The incumbent contractor has had two aircraft assigned to AUTEC over recent years, is this an indication AUTEC desires multiple aircraft operating simultaneously?

While the Government has no requirement for a second aircraft, the Contractor is expected to leverage its expertise to develop an approach that satisfies the Government's requirements of remaining Fully Mission Capable (FMC) in accordance with PWS 1.5.

Related to previous question If so, how many times a month is this required?

There is no requirement for two aircraft. Please refer to question 8 for further information.

10 PWS 1.7.4.5 PWS 12 Does AUTEC expect the timeframe of daily flight operations to exceed a single 12 hour crew duty day?

No, the Government does not expect the timeframe of daily operations to exceed a 12 hour crew duty day.

11 PWS 1.1 PWS pg 1 Presidential Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) are frequent in West Palm Beach (PBI) airport, Does AUTEC expect to modify its flight schedule around or relocate outside PBI during the period of performance?

The Government expects that the flight schedule to be dynamic during TFRs and alternate airports in the area (ie. Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Stuart) may be used to meet mission requirements. The designated Ramp Space at AUTEC terminal facility (KPBI), as outlined in PWS 5.1 remains unchanged.

12 PWS 1.2 PWS pg 1

The Performance Work Statement (PWS) Section 1.2 specifies an aircraft capable of transporting 15-19 passengers and 50 lbs of baggage per passenger in 1.25 flight hours or less between KPBI and MYAF. Are there any specific Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) aircraft models preferred or required by the Government, or is the selection left to the contractor’s discretion provided the performance criteria are met?

The government does not have a preferred aircraft.

It is to the contractors discretion to meet the minimum standards outlined in PWS 1.2 and 1.3.

Please note provided MYAF runway distance and condition are located in PWS 1.4.

13 PWS 1.2.1 PWS pg 1

UHF Radio Requirement: PWS 1.2.1 requires one UHF radio with VHF and TCAS. Our avionics vendor notes UHF options range from basic high/low band radios to complex modules ($32k-$100k), needing manufacturer input. Is UHF for specific military communications at KPBI/MYAF, and can you specify required frequency band or functionality (e.g., basic vs. encrypted), or is dual VHF acceptable if IFR/safety standards are met?

Revised PWS Section 1.2.1. FW Aircraft must be Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) capable with Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) AND one (1) Very High Frequency (VHF) Air Band Radio and in accordance with FAA and CFR Part 133 regulations.

14 PWS 1.5 PWS pg. 2

PWS Section 1.5 requires a 95% OR rate, with Not Mission Capable (NMC) days impacting the monthly billable amount per Table 3. Can you clarify if NMC days caused by external factors beyond contractor control (e.g., prolonged weather delays at MYAF or Government-directed cancellations) are included in the OR rate calculation, or are these eligible for a waiver by the Contracting Officer as noted in Section 1.5.1?

Not Mission Capable (NMC) is defined as any day the aircraft cannot fly due to carrier- controlled reasons, i.e., maintenance, operations, and crew availability. The aircraft will be considered Fully Mission Capable (FMC) if it is available for flight as scheduled by the Tasking Authority.

15 PWS 1.5 PWS pg. 2

To ensure the 95% OR rate, we plan to position a second aircraft at another location, as a backup. Would a second aircraft’s availability count toward the OR rate for the primary aircraft stationed at KPBI, or must each aircraft’s OR rate be calculated independently?

A second aircraft availability will count towards the OR as long as the second aircraft can meet the requirement to transport passengers/cargo between KPBI and MYAF. The Government will not pay for storage of a second aircraft.

16 PWS 1.5 PWS pg. 2

If the second aircraft is used to complete a mission due to the primary aircraft being NMC, would the flight hours flown by the second aircraft be billable under CLIN 0002 (Fixed Wing Operations), and would associated fuel costs be reimbursable under CLIN 0003 (Fuel Reimbursables)?

Yes, if the backup aircraft is used in place of the primary aircraft, flight hours would be billed to the Flight Hours CLIN, x002, and fuel costs should be billed to the fuel CLIN, x003.

17 PWS 5.2 PWS Pg. 16

PWS Section 5.2 requires contractors to establish a Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) agreement for fuel purchases at MYAF within 45 days of award. Could you provide guidance on the process or point of contact for initiating this agreement to ensure compliance by the deadline?

Process can be discussed in Postaward Conference and found online at DLA website https://www.dla.mil/Energy/Products/Government- Fuel/AIR- Card/#:~:text=The%20AIR%20Card%C2%AE%20is, requested%20by%20the%20card%20user.

18 PWS PWS 2.2.3 and 5.2 For fuel reimbursements (PWS Section 2.2.3), are there specific documentation requirements beyond receipts (e.g., fuel logs tied to specific missions) that must be submitted with invoices?

IAW PWS 2.2.3 and PWS 2.1 Fuel receipts that include the date, time and flight number are required to be submitted with invoices.

19 PWS 1.6.5 PWS pg. 8

PWS Section 1.6.5 allows positioning of personnel, equipment, and aircraft up to 60 days prior to the performance start date of October 01, 2025, with full operational status required by that date. Does this mean positioning costs incurred prior to July 02, 2025 (60 days before October 01, 2025) are ineligible for reimbursement, or can they be proposed as part of the firm-fixed-price (FFP) positioning costs under CLIN 0005?

The Government will not pay any cost incurred before the performance start date, 1 October 2025.

See changes to PWS 1.

20 PWS 1.3 PWS pg. 5

PWS Section 1.3 estimates approximately 1,250 flight hours annually based on the tentative schedule in Table 1. However, it also mentions potential additional mid-day, weekend, and holiday missions. Can you provide an estimate of the frequency or total additional flight hours expected annually to assist in pricing CLIN 0002 (Fixed Wing Operations)?

Between the the performance period of December 2023 - November 2024 there were 1183.7 hours flown and of those, approximately 127 flight hours were from non-scheduled flights. There is a potential for increased hours due to increased TFRs/diversions in the current period of performance.

21 PWS 1.3 PWS pg. 5 Are additional flight hours beyond the 1,250 estimate subject to the same unit price proposed for CLIN 0002, or will they be negotiated separately?

Yes. Additional flight hours beyond the 1,250 estimate would be subject to the same unit price proposed.

22 RFP -2 Section C RFP pg. 37-38

The Past Performance Questionnaire (Section 3) references the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). Will past performance evaluations heavily weigh CPARS ratings over questionnaire responses, or are both considered equally? Additionally, are there specific performance metrics (e.g., OR rate, on-time performance) that will be prioritized in the evaluation?

In evaluating past performance, the Government will give greater consideration to past performance efforts deemed most relevant to the effort described in this RFP.

23 PWS 7.1 PWS pg. 18

PWS Section 7.1 designates these services as “operationally critical support” under DFARS 252.204-7012.

Are contractors required to have NIST SP 800-171 compliance fully implemented at the time of proposal submission, or is a plan to achieve compliance by the performance start date acceptable?

As stated in RFP 52.212-1(b)(12)(ii)(H), "....As this contract is expected to involve Covered Defense Information, a Basic Assessment shall be completed and uploaded to SPRS." RFP 52.212- 2(c)(A)(vi) has been updated to state this is required "at time of proposal submission."

Round 2