RFP.AERO.AWOS Upgrade.docx

Michigan.gov/MiProcurement proposal instructions Department of Transportation Michigan Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) Network Upgrade Request for Proposal No. 230000002566 Solicitation Manager Name: ReChelle I. Kendrick Direct Phone: 517-335-5905 Email: KendrickR1@michigan.gov Main Phone: 1-855-MI-PURCH 1-855-647-8724 This is a Request for Proposal (RFP) for:

Upgrading Michigan Non-Fed AWOS IIIPT to newer technology throughout forty-one (41) local airports

RFP Timeline

*A bidder’s proposal received at 3:00:01 p.m. Eastern is late and subject to disqualification.

This RFP is subject to change. Check www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS for current information.

1. PROPOSAL PREPARATION. The State recommends reading all RFP materials prior to preparing a proposal, particularly these Proposal Instructions and the Vendor Questions Worksheet. Bidders must follow these Proposal Instructions and provide a complete response to the items indicated in the table below. References and links to websites or external sources may not be used in lieu of providing the information requested in the RFP within the proposal. Include the bidder’s company name in the header of all documents submitted with your proposal. Note that all documents and information submitted as part of a proposal will become public record immediately upon receipt by the State. Proposals received by the State may be posted on the State’s publicly available website after bidders are notified of the award recommendation.

RFP Structure and Documentation

2. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE STATE. The sole point of contact for the State concerning this RFP is listed on the Cover Page. Contacting any other State personnel, agent, consultant, or representative about this RFP may result in bidder disqualification.

3. MODIFICATIONS. The State may modify this RFP at any time. Modifications will be posted on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS. This is the only method by which the RFP may be modified.

4. QUESTIONS. Bidder questions about this RFP must be emailed to the Solicitation Manager no later than the time and date specified on the Cover Page. In the interest of transparency, only written questions are accepted. Answers to questions will be posted on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS. Submit questions using the format below; a Microsoft Excel format or similar is suggested.

5. DELIVERY OF PROPOSAL.

Electronic – The bidder must submit its proposal, all attachments, and any modifications or withdrawals electronically through www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS. The price proposal should be saved separately from all other proposal documents. The bidder should submit all documents in a modifiable (native) format (examples include but are not limited to Microsoft Word or Excel and Google Docs or Sheets). In addition to submitting documents in a modifiable format, the bidder may also submit copies of documents in PDF. Attachment file size is limited to 6 MB per document. Bidder’s failure to submit a proposal as required may result in disqualification. The proposal and attachments must be fully uploaded and submitted prior to the proposal deadline. Do not wait until the last minute to submit a proposal, as the SIGMA VSS system requires the creation of an account and entry of certain information, in addition to uploading and submitting the materials. The SIGMA VSS system will not allow a proposal to be submitted after the proposal deadline identified in the solicitation Closing On/Closing Date fields (Summary view/Detail view), even if a portion of the proposal has been uploaded.

Questions on how to submit information or how to navigate in the SIGMA VSS system can be answered by calling (517) 284-0540 or (888) 734-9749. The Solicitation Manager will not provide assistance related to the submittal of the proposal and all attachments on the day of the proposal deadline. Responsibility for a complete submission lies with the bidder. Note that all documents and information submitted in any manner as part of a proposal will become public record immediately upon receipt by the State. Proposals received may be posted by the State on the State’s publicly available website after bidders are notified of the award recommendation.

6. MANDATORY MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS. To avoid disqualification, the bidder must provide documentation to support the following:

Must be an FAA certified authorized distributor of AWOS IIIPT per the List of Certified Non-Federal AWOS Systems and Manufacturers document latest revision.

Only proposals meeting the mandatory minimum requirements will be considered for evaluation.

7. EVALUATION PROCESS. The State will evaluate each proposal on a PASS/FAIL basis based on the following criteria:

The State may utilize all bidder information to determine fair market value for goods or services sought. If applicable, the State’s evaluation will include consideration of a bidder’s qualified disabled veterans/service-disabled veteran owned business (QDV/SDVOB) status under MCL 18.1261(8). Additional information on the SDVOB preference is available at: Michigan.gov/SDVOB.

The State strongly encourages strict adherence to the Contract Terms. The State reserves the right to deem a bid non-responsive for failure to accept the Contract Terms. Nevertheless, the bidder may submit proposed changes to the Contract Terms in track changes (i.e., visible edits) with an explanation of the bidder’s need for each proposed change. Failure to include track changes with an explanation of the bidder’s need for the proposed change constitutes the bidder’s acceptance of the Contract Terms. General statements, such as that the bidder reserves the right to negotiate the terms and conditions, may be considered non-responsive. Failure to respond timely to requests for proposed changes to Contract Terms during ongoing negotiations may be cause for disqualification.

The State may but is not required to conduct an on-site visit to tour and inspect the bidder’s facilities; require an oral presentation of the bidder's proposal; conduct interviews, research, reference checks, and background checks; and request additional price concessions at any point during the evaluation process.

8. NOTICE OF DEFICIENCY. The State reserves the right to issue a Notice of Deficiency to bidders if the State determines after the proposal deadline that a portion of the RFP was deficient, unclear, or ambiguous. Failure to respond to a Notice of Deficiency timely may be cause for disqualification.

9. CLARIFICATION REQUEST. The State reserves the right to issue a Clarification Request to a bidder to clarify its proposal if the State determines the proposal is not clear. Failure to respond to a Clarification Request timely may be cause for disqualification.

10. RESERVATIONS. The State reserves the right to:

a. Disqualify a bidder for failure to follow these instructions.

b. Discontinue the RFP process at any time for any or no reason. The issuance of an RFP, your preparation and submission of a proposal, and the State’s subsequent receipt and evaluation of your proposal does not commit the State to award a contract to you or anyone, even if all the requirements in the RFP are met.

c. Consider late proposals if: (i) no other proposals are received; (ii) no complete proposals are received; (iii) the State received complete proposals, but the proposals did not meet mandatory minimum requirements or technical criteria; or (iv) the award process fails to result in an award.

d. Consider an otherwise disqualified proposal if no other proposals are received.

e. Disqualify a proposal based on: (i) information provided by the bidder in response to this RFP; (2) the bidder’s failure to complete registration on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS ; or (3) if it is determined that a bidder purposely or willfully submitted false or misleading information in response to the RFP.

f. Consider prior performance with the State in making its award decision.

g. Consider overall economic impact to the State when evaluating proposal pricing and in the final award recommendation. This includes but is not limited to: considering principal place of performance, number of Michigan citizens employed or potentially employed, dollars paid to Michigan residents, Michigan capital investments, job creation, tax revenue implications, and economically disadvantaged businesses.

h. Consider total-cost-of-ownership factors (e.g., transition and training costs) when evaluating proposal pricing and in the final award recommendation.

i. Refuse to award a contract to any bidder that has failed to pay State taxes or has outstanding debt with the State.

j. Enter into negotiations with one or more bidders on price, terms, technical requirements, or other deliverables.

k. Award multiple, optional-use contracts, or award by Contract Activity.

l. Evaluate the proposal outside the scope identified in the Evaluation Process section of this document if the State receives only one proposal.

11. AWARD RECOMMENDATION. The contract will be awarded to the responsive and responsible bidder who receives a PASS for each criterion and has the lowest price.

The State will publish an Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis, by posting a Notice of Intent to Award (NIA1) on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS.

12. DEBRIEF MEETING AND BID PROTEST. The State will post an Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis which will provide instructions on how to request a debrief meeting.

If you wish to initiate a protest of the award, you must submit your written protest to Carol Rademacher at RademacherC@michigan.gov no later than 3:00 p.m., three (3) business days after posting the Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis on SIGMA VSS. The State reserves the right to adjust this timing and will publish any change.

Additional information about the protest process is available at DTMB - Programs and Policies (michigan.gov) under the “Bidder Protests” link.

13. STATE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD. Contracts equal to $250,000 or greater than require approval by the State Administrative Board. The State Administrative Board’s decision is final; however, its approval does not constitute a contract. The award process is not complete until the awarded contractor receives a contract fully executed by all parties.

14. GENERAL CONDITIONS. The State will not be liable for any costs, expenses, or damages incurred by a bidder participating in this solicitation. The bidder agrees that its proposal will be considered an offer to do business with the State in accordance with its proposal, including the Contract Terms, and that its proposal will be irrevocable and binding for a period of 180 calendar days from date of submission. If a contract is awarded to the bidder, the State may, at its option, incorporate any part of the bidder’s proposal into a contract. This RFP is not an offer to enter into a contract. This RFP may not provide a complete statement of the State’s environment or contain all matters upon which agreement must be reached. The bidder understands that their proposal will become public record immediately upon receipt by the State. Other than verified trade secrets, proposals submitted via www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS are the State’s property.

15. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT FORM AND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. As a public record, all portions of the bidder’s proposal and resulting contract are subject to disclosure as required under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231, et seq. However, the State may exempt some information from disclosure as permitted by law. Under MCL 18.1261(13)(b), records containing “a trade secret as defined under section 2 of the uniform trade secrets act, 1998 PA 448, MCL 445.1902,” are exempt from disclosure under FOIA. In addition, “financial or proprietary information” submitted with a bidder’s proposal is exempt from disclosure under FOIA. A bidder’s failure to comply with this Section is grounds for rejecting a bidder’s proposal as non-responsive. As a part of its proposal, each bidder must follow the procedure below.

SUBMIT A COMPLETED “CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT FORM” (CT FORM) WITH YOUR BID. Completion and submission of the CT Form is required regardless of whether the bidder seeks confidential treatment of information. Failure to submit a completed CT Form may be cause for disqualification from the solicitation process. If a bidder fails to properly complete and submit the CT Form or otherwise fails to follow CT Form instructions, the proposal may be publicly disclosed in its entirety without redaction after an award recommendation.

Complete and sign Section 1 of the CT Form if the bidder does NOT request confidential treatment of information contained in its proposal; or

i. Complete and sign Section 2 of the CT Form if the bidder requests confidential treatment of certain information. Bidder must also submit a “Public Copy” of the proposal with the trade secret, financial, and proprietary information redacted and clearly labeled as the “Public Copy.”

ii. Failure to complete and sign a CT Form may result in disqualification of the bidder. If a bidder fails to properly complete and submit the CT Form or otherwise fails to follow the CT Form instructions, the proposal, in its entirety, will be treated as a “Public Copy” and may be publicly disclosed by the State without redaction after bidders have been notified of an award recommendation.

b. FOIA REQUESTS. If a FOIA request is made for a bidder’s proposal, the Public Copy may be distributed to the public along with the bidder’s CT Form. The CT Form is a public document and serves as an explanation for the redactions to the Public Copy. Do not put any trade secret, financial, or proprietary information in the CT Form. Do not redact the CT Form itself.

c. NO ADVICE. The State will not advise a bidder as to the nature or content of documents entitled to protection from disclosure under FOIA or other laws, as to the interpretation of such laws, or as to the definition of trade secret or financial or proprietary information. Nothing contained in this provision will modify or amend requirements and obligations imposed on the State by FOIA or other applicable law.

d. FAILURE TO REQUEST CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT. Failure to request material be treated as confidential as specified herein relieves the State, its agencies, and personnel from any responsibility for maintaining material in confidence.

e. Bids containing a request to maintain an entire proposal as confidential may be rejected as non-responsive. Bidders may not request confidential treatment with respect to resumes, pricing, and marketing materials. The State reserves the right to determine whether material designated as exempt by a bidder falls under MCL 18.1261 or other applicable FOIA exemptions. If a FOIA request is made for materials that the bidder has identified as trade secret, financial, or proprietary information, the State has the final authority to determine whether the materials are exempt from disclosure under FOIA.

f. Bidder forever releases the State, its departments, subdivisions, officers, and employees from all claims, rights, actions, demands, damages, liabilities, expenses and fees, which arise out of or relate to the disclosure of all or a portion of bidder’s proposal submitted under this RFP. Bidder must defend, indemnify and hold the State, its departments, subdivisions, officers, and employees harmless, without limitation, from and against all actions, claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs, attorney fees, and expenses (including those required to establish the right to indemnification), arising out of or relating to any FOIA request, including potential litigation and appeals, related to the portion of bidder’s proposal submitted under this RFP that bidder has identified as a trade secret, or financial or proprietary information. The State will notify bidder in writing if indemnification is sought. The State is entitled to: (i) regular updates on proceeding status; (ii) participate in the defense of the proceeding; (iii) employ its own counsel; and to (iv) retain control of the defense, or any portion thereof, if the State deems necessary. Bidder will not, without the State’s written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld), settle, compromise, or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any claim, action, or proceeding. If a State employee, official, or law is involved or challenged, the State may control the defense of that portion of the claim. Any litigation activity on behalf of the State, or any of its subdivisions under this Section, must be coordinated with the Department of Attorney General. An attorney designated to represent the State may not do so until approved by the Michigan Attorney General and appointed as a Special Assistant Attorney General.

confidential treatment form INSTRUCTIONS. Bidder must complete either Section 1 or Section 2 of this CT Form and sign where indicated. Do not complete both sections. This CT Form must be signed by the individual who signed the bidder’s proposal. A completed CT Form must be submitted with your proposal, regardless of whether your proposal contains confidential information.

Failure to submit a completed CT Form with your bid is grounds for rejecting the proposal as non-responsive. If a bidder fails to properly complete and submit the CT Form or otherwise fails to follow CT Form Instructions, the proposal, in its entirety, will be treated as a “Public Copy” and may be publicly disclosed by the State without redaction after bidders have been notified of an award recommendation. See the Confidential Treatment Form and The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) sections of the Proposal Instructions for additional information.

Section 1. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT IS NOT REQUESTED This section must be completed, signed, and submitted with the proposal if the bidder does not request confidential treatment of any material contained in the proposal. If this section is completed, do not complete Section 2. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT IS REQUESTED.

By signing below, the bidder affirms that confidential treatment of material contained in their proposal is not requested.

RFP Number

RFP Title

Signature

Date

Printed Name, Title, Company

Section 2. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT IS REQUESTED This section must be completed, signed, and submitted with the proposal if bidder requests confidential treatment of any material contained in the proposal. Submission of a completed CT Form is required to request confidential treatment. If this section is completed, do not complete Section 1. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT IS NOT REQUESTED.

Provide the information in the table below. Bidder may add rows or additional pages using the same format shown in the table. Bidder must specifically identify the information to be protected as confidential and state the reasons why protection is necessary.

The CT Form will not be considered fully complete unless, for each confidentiality request, the bidder: (1) identifies the Proposal Page #, Section #, and Paragraph #, (2) identifies whether the material is a Trade Secret (TS), Proprietary Financial Information (FI), or Proprietary Information (PI), and (3) explains the specific legal grounds that support treatment of the material as TS, FI, or PI. Bidders must provide a complete justification as to how the material falls within the scope of an applicable FOIA exemption or relevant case law. Bidders must not simply cite to an applicable exemption or case name. Bidders must also provide the contact information for the person at their organization authorized to respond to inquiries by the State concerning the material.

Bidder must also submit a “Public Copy” of the proposal with the trade secret, financial, and proprietary information redacted and clearly labeled as the “Public Copy”.

(1) Proposal Page #, Section #, Paragraph # (2) Material is Trade Secret (TS), Proprietary Financial Information (FI), Proprietary Information (PI) (3) Applicable FOIA Exemption with Written Justification (4) Bidder Contact Information

By signing below, the bidder affirms that confidential treatment of material contained in their proposal is requested and has attached to this form a redacted “Public Copy” of the bidder’s proposal.

RFP Number

RFP Title

Signature

Date

Printed Name, Title, Company vendor questions worksheet Provide a detailed response to each question. “You” and “company” refers to the bidder.

1. Contact Information

Bidder’s sole contact person during the RFP process. Include name, title, address, email, and phone number.

Person authorized to receive and sign a resulting contract. Include name, title, address, email, phone number and vendor customer code in SIGMA VSS.

2. Company Background Information

Legal business name and address. Include business entity designation, e.g., sole proprietor, Inc., LLC, or LLP.

What state was the company formed in?

Phone number.

Website address.

Number of years in business.

Number of employees.

Legal business name and address of parent company, if any.

Has there been a recent change in organizational structure (e.g., management team) or control (e.g., merger or acquisition) of your company? If the answer is yes: (a) explain why the change occurred and (b) how this change has affected your company.

Discuss your company’s history. Has growth been organic, through mergers and acquisitions, or both?

Has bidder ever been debarred, suspended, or disqualified from bidding or contracting with any entity, including the State of Michigan? If yes, provide the date, the entity, and details about the situation.

Has your company been a party to litigation against the State of Michigan? If the answer is yes, then state the date of initial filing, case name and court number, and jurisdiction.

Within the last 5 years, has your company or any of its related business entities defaulted on a contract or had a contract terminated for cause? If yes, provide the date, contracting entity, type of contract, and details about the termination or default.

State your gross annual sales for each of the last 5 years.

If receiving a contract under this RFP will increase your gross revenue by more than 25% from last year’s sales, explain how the company will scale-up to manage this increase.

Describe partnerships and strategic relationships you think will bring significant value to the State.

State the physical address of the place of business that would have primary responsibility for this account if bidder is awarded a contract under this RFP.

3. Qualified Disabled Veteran/Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Program

To demonstrate qualification as a qualified disabled veteran, you must provide:

(a) Proof of service and conditions of discharge (DD214 or equivalent);

(b) Proof of service-connected disability (DD214 if the disability was documented at discharge or Veterans Administration Rating Decision Letter or equivalent if the disability was documented after discharge); and

(c) Legal documents setting forth the ownership of the business entity.

In lieu of the documentation identified above, you may provide proof of certification by the National Veterans Business Development Council.

Enter the names of documents submitted with your proposal to demonstrate status as a qualified disabled veteran.

4. Participation in RFP Development or Evaluation

If you enter “YES”, you are not eligible for contract award or to work as a subcontractor for the awarded vendor.

If you enter “YES,” you are not eligible for contract award. An awarded vendor may not partner or subcontract with anyone to provide goods and services required under a resulting contract if that subcontractor or partner assisted in the development of this solicitation.

If you enter “YES”, you are not eligible for contract award or to work as a subcontractor for the awarded vendor.

5. State of Michigan Experience and Prior Experience

Does your company have experience working with the State of Michigan? If so, please provide a list (including the contract number) of the contracts you hold or have held with the State for the last 10 years.

Describe at least 3 relevant experiences from the last 5 years supporting your ability to successfully manage a contract of similar size and scope for the work described in this RFP.

Experience 1

Company name.

Contact name.

Contact role at time of project.

Contact phone.

Contact email.

City.

State.

Zip.

1. Project name and description of the scope of the project.

2. What role did your company play?

3. How is this project experience relevant to the subject of this RFP?

Dollar value.

Start and end date (mm/yy – mm/yy)

Status (completed, live, other – specify phase)

Results obtained.

Experience 2

Company name.

Contact role at time of project.

City.

1. Project name and description of the scope of the project.

Dollar value.

Start and end date (mm/yy – mm/yy)

Status (completed, live, other – specify phase)

Results obtained.

Experience 3

Company name.

Contact role at time of project.

City.

1. Project name and description of the scope of the project.

Dollar value.

Start and end date (mm/yy – mm/yy)

Status (completed, live, other – specify phase)

Results obtained.

6. Standard Contract Terms

Bidder must affirm agreement with the attached Contract Terms. If not in agreement, written exceptions in accordance with the Evaluation Process section of the Proposal Instructions must be provided with Bidder’s proposal.

7. Michigan Economic Impact

Number of employees currently employed at locations within the State of Michigan.

Number of additional employees to be employed at locations within the State of Michigan if awarded this Contract (if any)

Minimum wage paid to employees employed at locations within the State of Michigan.

Average wage paid to employees employed at locations within the State of Michigan.

Percentage of employees employed at locations within the State of Michigan that are covered by employer-provided health insurance.

8. Labor, Antidiscrimination and Environmental Laws Compliance

Bidder must disclose any violations of state or federal labor, antidiscrimination and employment laws and regulations received within the past five years.

Bidder must disclose any violations of state or federal environmental laws and regulations received within the past five years.

9. Supplier Diversity

10. Other

11. Response to State Requests

Contractor must enter company name here.

Schedule A – statement of work contract activities Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 230000002566 Michigan AWOS Network Upgrade This schedule identifies the anticipated requirements of any Contract resulting from this RFP. The term “Contractor” in this document refers to a bidder responding to this RFP, as well as the Contractor who is awarded the contract. The term “bidder” is used to identify where specific responses to the RFP are required.

The Contractor must respond to each requirement or question and explain how it will fulfill each requirement. Attach any supplemental information and appropriately reference within your response.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO CONTRACTORS/BIDDERS: There are specific requirements for which acceptance must be simply acknowledged through a checkbox(es), and others that require further explanation. Click one checkbox and complete the entries as identified.

BACKGROUND

The State of Michigan and 41 local airport sponsors co-operate Vaisala Model AW-10 AWOS units across the state. We recognize that these units have or are reaching the end of their useful lives. Parts and support are beginning to dwindle for these units. The State of Michigan intends to procure replacement units with updated technology for a five (5) year upgrade project to update every unit to currently supported technology. Many sites will be also working to provide updated siting criteria vegetation clearing and/or potential site relocation tasks concurrently. Michigan intends for these upgrades to occur quickly to minimize AWOS system outages across the state. The State of Michigan recognizes the impacts of AWOS system outages and is assisting the locals in upgrading these sites.

SCOPE

Bidder shall provide manufacturer-specific AWOS upgrade package parts to the State of Michigan in an expeditious manner to minimize outages and support the State’s efforts for technology updates. When at all possible, currently utilized sensors that are of current technological design are to remain in operation so long as those sensors are compatible with the upgrading manufacturer. The State of Michigan will order all necessary parts for a site-specific upgrade upon approval of the state’s request of Proposed Construction or Alteration (FAA Form 7460-1). The State will coordinate delivery of all components, perform/coordinate the upgrade of each site, and coordinate re-commissioning with the FAA for each site on the sponsors behalf. The intention of this project is to simply upgrade each site with new technology, not add additional capability. Included in this bid shall be training for the new system (components, sensors, communications protocols, install and maintenance best practices, etc.) for State of Michigan AWOS Technicians to install and maintain the new AWOS sites. Delivery method may be via remote/online training, Computer Based Training (CBT), and/or in-person locally (within the State of Michigan) or remote location. Type and location needs to be specified in the response.

REQUIREMENTS

1. General Requirements

1.1. Product Specifications

New Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified AWOS IIIPT systems capable of generating an automated FAA Meteorological Terminal Aviation Routine Weather report (METAR) syntax output every 5 minutes (or more often). The systems need to conform to the standards required by the FAA for AWOS IIIPT including but not limited to required sensors, sensor resolution, environmental performance, system output connections, etc. This system needs to conform to both “Stand-alone” and “Split” style systems or be adaptable between the two styles. Each system would need to have the most up to date sensors to measure the following AWOS IIIPT required elements: Wind Speed, Wind Direction, Temperature, Dewpoint, Altimeter Setting, Visibility, Precipitation Identification and Intensity, Cloud Height, Precipitation Accumulation, Thunderstorm Location and Intensity. All AWOS system components are to be newly manufactured and not previously used.

The Bidder must provide the following for each site as required:

1. DESCRIPTION

1.1 This item shall consist of furnishing and installing an FAA-approved Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) in accordance with this specification and FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5220-16 (latest revision), Automated Weather Observing Systems (AWOS) for Non-federal Applications. This item shall include the furnishing of all equipment, materials, and incidentals identified in this specification necessary to place the system in operation to the satisfaction of the State of Michigan and ready for commissioning by the Federal Aviation Administration.

2. EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

2.1 GENERAL

A. The AWOS and other equipment and material covered by FAA specifications shall have the approval of the Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, D.C., 20591, as listed in Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5345-53 (latest edition), prior to installation.

B. All other equipment and materials covered by other referenced specification shall be subject to acceptance through the manufacturer’s certification of compliance with the applicable specification.

2.2 AWOS SYSTEM

The Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) shall be an FAA (type certified) system in accordance with Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5220-16 (latest edition) and Order No. 6560.20 (latest edition) prior to installation.

2.3 GENERAL PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

A. Input Power. AWOS equipment shall operate from a 120V AC (± 5%), 60 Hz (± 5 Hz), 3-wire single-phase service. The Data Collection Platform (DCP) enclosure shall be mounted to the AWOS tower in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications. The maximum service required shall be 20 amps.

B. Loss of power. The AWOS should return to normal operation without human intervention after a power outage. When power is restored, the AWOS should not output erroneous data. The system shall have the capability of operating from an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) should one be required.

2.4 OPERATING ENVIRONMENT

All AWOS equipment shall meet the requirements for operating in a Class 1 environment, as defined in FAA Advisory Circular 150/5220-16 latest edition.

2.5 AWOS SYSTEM AND SENSOR SPECIFICATIONS

The AWOS provided for this project shall meet the specifications and performance guidelines defined in AC 150/5220-16 (latest edition).

2.5.1 WIND SPEED SENSOR

The wind sensor shall be of ultrasonic sensing technology.

A. The wind speed sensor shall be an ultrasonic type with an output frequency which is proportional to wind speed. Periodic calibration shall not be required.

Speed:

a. Range. 0 knots to maximum of 126 knots.

b. Accuracy. 0.2 knots or 2% of reading, whichever is greater.

c. Resolution. 1 knot.

d. Threshold. 2 knots.

2.5.2 WIND DIRECTION SENSOR

This sensor should be aligned to true north and should withstand a wind speed of 85 knots without damage. The Wind sensor shall not require periodic calibration.

a. Range. 1 degree to 360 degrees in azimuth.

b. Threshold. 2 knots.

c. Accuracy. Within 5 degrees Root Mean Square Error (RMSE).

d. Resolution. Nearest 10 degrees.

e. Time Constant. Less than 2 seconds

2.5.3 AMBIENT TEMPERATURE SENSOR

A. The sensor should be thermally isolated to accurately measure the environments below and contain a motorized aspirated shield.

a. Range. From -35 degrees to +55 degrees C (-30 degrees to +130 degrees F).

b. Accuracy. One (1) degree F for the entire range of the sensor, with a maximum error of 2 degrees F.

c. Resolution. Not greater than 1 degree F

d. Time Constant. Not greater than 2 minutes

2.5.4 DEWPOINT

A. Dewpoint shall be derived utilizing temperature and relative humidity observations.

B. Resolution. Not greater than 1 degree F.

C. Time Constant. Less than 2 minutes.

D. Accuracy. The accuracy should be as follows (all errors are RMSE):

1. 2 degrees F dewpoint for dry bulb temperatures of +30 degrees to +90 degrees F (80% to 100% relative humidity), with a maximum error of 3 degrees F at any dry bulb temperature.

2. 3 degrees F dewpoint for dry bulb temperatures of +30 degrees to +120 degrees F (15% to 75% relative humidity), with a maximum error of 4 degrees F at any dry bulb temperature.

3. 4 degrees F dewpoint for dry bulb temperatures of -20 degrees to +20 degrees F (25% to 95% relative humidity), with a maximum error of 5 degrees F at any dry bulb temperature. The minimum dewpoint required is -30 degrees F.

2.5.5 PRESSURE SENSOR

A. Design. Two (2) pressure transducer sensors should be provided for the AWOS system. The sensors shall not require heaters. Pressure sensors shall have provision for venting to the outside of the building where required. Each sensor shall have an independent venting interface.

B. Pressure Range. The sensor should be capable of measuring a pressure range at any fixed location of +1.5 to -3.0 inHg from the standard atmospheric pressure at that location. High pressure should be standard atmospheric pressure at -100 feet plus 1.5 inHg (=31.565 inHg). Low pressure should be standard atmospheric pressure at +10,000 feet minus 3.0 inHg (=17.58 inHg).

C. Accuracy. The accuracy should be 0.01 inHg RMSE at all altitudes from -100 to +10,000 feet mean sea level (MSL), maximum error 0.02 inHg at any one pressure.

D. Resolution. The resolution should not be greater than 0.005 inHg.

E. Differential Accuracy. The sensor should exhibit a differential accuracy of 0.01 inHg or less between a series of two pressure measurements taken from the same sensor 3 hours apart. Ambient temperature over this 3-hour period should not change more than 5 degrees F; ambient pressure should not vary more than 0.1 inHg (RMSE) over the 3-hour period.

F. Maximum Drift with Time. Each sensor should be stable and continuously accurate within 0.01 inHg RMSE for a period of not less than 6 months. The maximum error shall be 0.02 inHg.

2.5.6 VISIBILITY SENSOR – Forward Scatter

A. Range. The visibility sensor should be capable of determining visibilities from less than 1/4 mile to 10 miles. A method of calibration traceable to the FAA approved transmissometer shall be provided.

B. Resolution. In terms of equivalent visibility, the sensor should provide data to report visibility values as follows: less than 1/4, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1-1/4, 1-1/2, 2, 2-1/2, 3, 3- 1/2, 4, 5, 7, and 10 miles.

C. Time Constant. The time constant should not exceed 3 minutes.

D. Accuracy. The sensor should agree with the transmissometer standards as follows:

Table 1. Visibility sensor accuracy requirements (all values in statute miles).

Reference Transmissometer Reading Acceptable Sensor Variance

E. Ambient Light Sensor. The visibility sensor should contain an ambient light sensor to measure the ambient luminance within its field of view and to generate a signal to the visibility sensor to indicate whether the ambient light level is day or night. It shall indicate day for increasing illumination between 0.5 and 3 foot-candles (FC) and night for decreasing illumination between 3 and 0.5 FC. This sensor may be exposed to ambient light levels as high as 50 FC.

F. The AWOS system shall measure and store calibration constants on operator command when the visibility calibration is installed.

2.5.7 CLOUD HEIGHT SENSOR

A. Range. The cloud height sensor shall measure cloud heights and the heights of obscuring phenomena aloft to a minimum of 25,000 feet. The sensor should provide an output of three cloud layers representative of the sky conditions when surface visibilities are equal to or greater than 1/4 mile.

B. Accuracy. Under laboratory conditions, the sensor should provide an accuracy of 100 feet or 5 percent, whichever is greater.

C. Resolution. Not greater than: 50 feet surface to 5,500 feet; 250 feet from 5,501 to 10,000 feet; 500 feet above 10,000 feet.

D. Sampling. The sensor should provide an output at least once every 30 seconds. The sampling rate may be reduced to at least one sample every 3 minutes when no hits are detected for the preceding 15 minutes.

E. Detection Performance. Meet or exceed the requirement of AC 150/5220-16 (latest edition).

F. Eye Safety. The cloud height sensor should be designed to conform to ANSI-Z 136.1, Accessible Emission Limits for Laser Radiation, with Class 3b maximum accessible emission level applied to direct viewing without optical instruments (excluding ordinary eyeglasses). Interlock device(s) in the laser power circuit board should be provided to disable the laser when any doors are open or the cover is removed to prevent inadvertent exposure of the laser emission to the eyes of the technician or others.

G. Optics Contamination. An air blower or other device should be used to reduce the contamination of the sensor optics. A signal should be generated to indicate the amount of optics contamination, thereby indicating the need for optics cleaning.

1. Snow. The ceilometer window should demonstrate an ability to remain clear of snow under the condition of snow accumulating at a rate of 2 inches per hour for 1 hour at a temperature of 20 degrees F.

2. Ice. The ceilometer window should remain clear of ice for 60 minutes under conditions of freezing rain with a maximum accretion rate of 1/2 inch per hour radial thickness of clear ice.

2.5.8 PRECIPITATION ACCUMULATION SENSOR

The sensor should be capable of measuring the precipitation amount with a range of

0.01 to 5 inches per hour. Precipitation amount is the liquid equivalent of all precipitation forms, i.e., liquid, freezing, frozen, or combinations thereof. Sensor shall have an optional heated version.

A. Resolution. The resolution shall be 0.01 inches.

B. Accuracy. The accuracy shall be 0.002 inches per hour (RMSE) or 4 percent of actual, whichever is greater.

2.5.9 PRECIPITATION TYPE AND INTENSITY SENSOR

A. The Precipitation Type and Intensity Sensor shall be a combined sensor with the visibility sensor and provide an indication of the type of precipitation occurring and shall report the intensity of the precipitation.

B. This sensor shall have the capability of identifying drizzle, fog, mist, haze, rain, and snow. In the event of combinations of liquid and frozen precipitation, the sensor shall report RZRA, FZDZ, FZFG or “(unknown) precipitation”.

C. During occurrences of precipitation, this sensor shall have the capability of reporting a precipitation intensity value. The sensor shall report intensity values as light, moderate, and intense.

2.5.10 THUNDERSTORM SENSOR

A. This sensor will detect the presence of a thunderstorm in the vicinity of an airport, locate the thunderstorm and provide this data in such a form that the information can be incorporated into the AWOS voice and data weather message. The Data will also be displayed on the operator terminal.

The sensor will meet the following Performance Standards.

a. Range and direction. Thunderstorms within 30 nautical miles (nm) of the reference point on the airport should be reported. Direction is expressed in compass octants for distances from 10 to 30Nnm.

b. Resolution. The thunderstorm location should be defined within one nm of the location of the actual location of the thunderstorm/lightning.

c. Accuracy. The standard detects strikes within 30 nm of the reference point.

F. The thunderstorm/lightning data shall be capable of being graphically displayed at the operator terminal. The graphic display shall be broken down in 0-5 nm, 5-10 nm, and 10-30 nm sectors. Each sector or octant shall be color coded to indicate the presence of thunderstorm/lightning activity. The PC and color video monitor used to support the graphic display shall be made available by the contractor.

2.5.11 AWOS DATA PROCESSOR

The AWOS data processor shall be x86 based, 64-bit, 1.6GHz (or greater), 4 core processor, with 4GB RAM and a 64 GB or greater storage disk and perform the following functions: data acceptance; data reduction; data processing and product dissemination (digital and voice).

A. The processor shall be capable of attaining AWOS IV configuration by adding the requisite sensors and software only. No major upgrade of the data processor will be required.

B. The processor shall provide a computer-generated voice weather observation to a ground-to-air radio for transmission to aircraft.

C. Number of Sensors. The processor shall be able to receive inputs from up to an unlimited number of sensors.

D. The processor shall contain an operating system working in an open system architecture capable of remote software upgrades.

E. Data Reduction. The data reduction function shall preprocess information prior to meteorological algorithm processing. The AWOS data reduction software shall include quality control checks to ensure that the data received is accurate and complete and that the associated equipment is working properly before the weather algorithms are performed. If data from any sensor is erroneous or missing (e.g.

sensor power loss, etc.), the parameter and all other parameters derived from the missing parameter shall be reported “missing” in the weather observation. The processor shall continue to sample data, and if the error condition is corrected, the weather parameter shall be reinserted in the AWOS report.

1. The processor shall periodically check reference of calibration points which correspond to the normal operating limits of the sensor.

2. The processor shall set upper and lower limits on the sensor output which correspond to the normal operating limits of the sensor.

F. Weather Algorithms. The system processor shall implement algorithms provided by the FAA to generate the elements of the weather observation. An observation shall be generated each minute.

G. System Output. The system shall generate the outputs: computer generated voice transmitted to pilots; telephone port for dial-up service and…