SAM-SSJ-Gunfighter Skies 2026 Dissimilar Formation_Redacted.pdf

This is a Single Source Justification document for a simplified acquisition by the 366 Fighter Wing to support the Dissimilar Formation project. The contracting activity is 366 CONS/PKA, and the document was executed on January 30, 2026 by Contracting Officer Elizabeth Hughes (GS-11).

The 366 Fighter Wing requires aircraft display services for the 2026 Gunfighter Skies Air Show Event at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. Specifically, the government seeks an F-86, P-47, and P-51 fighter aircraft to fly in dissimilar formation, showcasing diverse piloting skills and combined air power. Each aircraft will perform an individual "banana pass" flyby to highlight its historical significance. The justification supports awarding this requirement to a single source—Planes of Fame Air Museum—based on market research findings that identified only one contractor possessing all three specified aircraft with the capability and experience to execute the complex mission. The contractor's unique qualification to maintain and coordinate these three historically significant aircraft minimizes integration risk and ensures efficient, reliable execution of this challenging effort. The contracting officer determined that circumstances preclude full and open competition under FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), citing the technical complexity of integrating mismatched aircraft into a cohesive formation and the government's best interest in awarding to a single vendor capable of coordinating across all three aircraft. Future airshows will consider broader historic aircraft display options to prevent single-source limitations in subsequent acquisitions.