Statement_of_Work_Final.pdf

CHASE AIRCRAFT SUPPORT OF REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT

119th WING, NORTH DAKOTA AIR NATIONAL GUARD

14 DECEMBER 2018

1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES: Currently, Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) are required to provide an alternate means of complying with 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 91.113, which requires pilots to “See and avoid,” other aircraft. Therefore, the 119th Wing is contracting with a civilian operator to provide a chase aircraft and minimum crew of a pilot and an observer. Basic procedures are described in this document, however, some operational details may be altered due to agreements with Air Traffic Control (ATC). The chase aircraft (Chase) will rendezvous with the RPA within the confines of Hector

IAP (KFAR), Class D airspace. When rendezvous is complete, Chase will accompany the RPA while transiting to

Restricted Area R-5403 via the guidelines set forth within the current Certificate of Authorization (COA) and

Letter(s) of Agreement (LOA) with ATC. Once the RPA is established within R-5403, Chase will land and await the completion of the RPA training mission. The chase aircraft and crew will standby until scheduled handover time, or until notified of an early return by the RPA crew. At the end of the RPA training mission, Chase will rendezvous with the RPA at the border of R-5403 and accompany the RPA back to Hector IAP. If the RPA crew is not planning to conduct multiple pattern operations, Chase will perform a low approach as the RPA lands. If the RPA is planning to conduct multiple traffic patterns, a ground observer will assume observer duties once the RPA is in the Class D, and Chase will be released. The 119th Wing may request the chase aircraft to perform sorties in support of LRE

(Launch/Recovery) initiatives, e.g. Ground Based Detect and Avoid (GBDAA) radar testing. These sorties will be of similar duration to a restricted area sortie and will be considered as inclusive of any resulting contract that is issued as a result of this Statement of Work provided. It should also be noted that sorties of this nature may not require an observer in the chase aircraft crew.

2. SAFETY: The objective of the Chase aircraft is to protect the safety of non-participating manned aircraft operating in the vicinity of the RPA. It is absolutely essential that the Chase crew provide uninterrupted visual scanning of the flight path, and on all sides, of the RPA. If Chase recognizes a traffic conflict, Chase shall immediately direct the

RPA to turn left or right, and/or climb or descend to avoid the conflict. Chase must use clear & concise communication, such as “RPA 11, Chase, turn right, traffic 10 O’clock,” and will repeat the message if an immediate maneuver is not executed. A Chase order to maneuver is very rare; however, the RPA crew must be continuously alert for a maneuver order, and two-way communications must be maintained at all times.

3. SCHEDULING/ORDERING PROCEDURES: The contractor shall ensure Chase aircraft are available to provide approximately 3.2 flight hours of Chase support per RPA sortie to the restricted area. Additionally, the

Chase aircraft and crew will be on “standby” while an RPA is conducting training in R-5403 airspace. The flying schedule is subject to change, but is anticipated to include 6 flying days per month (Up to 72 flights total for this requirement), including drill weekend, as well as on-call Domestic Operations Support during day or night operations.

RPA sorties will be scheduled for 3 to 8 hours in length. Total flying hours for the Chase aircraft will be approximately 25 hours per month. Operations will normally be scheduled during daylight hours, however, night operations may occasionally be required.

a. Scheduled Operations: A weekly operations schedule will be issued to the Contractor no later than Friday of the previous week. This will be provided by the authorized Ordering Officer or Alternate.

b. On-call operations: The contractor must be prepared to provide “On call” Chase support, defined as “the ability to commence Chase operations within 6 hours of the request for services.” (On-call operations would result from a federal or state tasking, in support of a natural disaster or assistance to civil authorities, and are anticipated to rarely occur.) Only the authorized Ordering Officer or Alternate may order on-call services or authorize any changes to the weekly schedule.

c. While the RPA is in R-5403, Chase will stand by, ready to launch in support of an emergency return of the

RPA. Standby is defined as: “the ability to be at the designated handover point within 45 minutes (R5403) of notification.

4. CONTRACTORS’S AIRCRAFT REQUIREMENTS: To be determined Technically Acceptable, the Chase aircraft must be capable of flying at a sustained speed of 120 knots indicated airspeed at an altitude of 12,000 feet and below, as well as a sustained climb rate of at least 700fpm at 110 KIAS, to 8,000’ Mean Sea Level (MSL). The contractor is required to submit to the Government performance information about the plane intended to be used to provide chase aircraft support. This information shall include, but is not limited to: make, model and year of manufacture of proposed aircraft. All Chase aircraft shall be fully insured and the Contractor is solely responsible for damages to the aircraft or personnel during the performance of this contract. Under no circumstances, absent Government negligence, shall the Government be held liable or responsible for any damages sustained by the contractor, subcontractors, and personnel during performance of the contract.

5. OBSERVER QUALIFICATIONS: Observers must have an understanding of federal aviation regulations applicable to the airspace where the RPA will operate. Observers are considered a crewmember of the RPA.

Observers must not perform crew duties for more than one RPA at a time. Observers are not allowed to perform concurrent duties as both a pilot and observer. All observers shall maintain, at a minimum, a valid FAA Class 2 medical certificate issued under 14 CFR 67, and have it in their possession. Part 14 CFR 91.17, Alcohol or Drugs, applies to all RPA crewmembers, including observers.

6. PILOT QUALIFICATIONS: Pilots of any aircraft in support of this contract shall be operated by the contractor in accordance with all applicable regulatory guidance. Certificate shall contain all necessary endorsements to conform with Title 14 of the CFR. Pilots shall have a current airman medical certificate, or military equivalent, that has been issued under 14 CFR 67, Medical Standards and Certification. Chase pilots shall comply with 14 CFR

91.17, Alcohol or Drug use. Pilots shall maintain a current biennial flight review in accordance with 14 CFR 61.56, Flight Review, and maintain currency in manned aircraft pursuant to 14 CFR 61.57, Recent Flight Experience: Pilot in Command. All pilots shall be properly certified to serve as pilot of any aircraft that will be operated by the supplier in accordance with all applicable regulatory guidance.

7. CHASE CREW REQUIREMENTS: For Chase operations, a Chase qualified pilot and a Chase qualified observer are required.

a. Chase pilot is responsible for aircraft control and visual separation with the RPA.

b. Chase observer is responsible for clearing for additional traffic.

c. Chase will advise the RPA if the flight path indicates a possible conflict with other aircraft, or if weather minimums cannot be maintained.

d. The contractor is required to submit to the Government, resumes of all pilots and all observers that the contractor will utilize if awarded the contract. Upon award of the contract, the contractor shall not use any other pilots or observers without prior written approval from the Contracting Officer.

8. WEATHER MINIMUMS:

a. The RPA will operate under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), but will make every effort to maintain Visual

Meteorological Conditions (VMC).

b. Chase operations will operate under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), surface to 14,000’ MSL.

c. Standard VFR cloud clearance requirements apply, in accordance with 14 CFR 91.155, Basic VFR weather minimums.

9. ALTITUDE MINIMUMS: Chase aircraft will not go below 500 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) while performing enroute Chase procedures.

10. RENDEZVOUS PROCEDURES:

a. Initial rejoin on takeoff - Chase will normally be airborne prior to the Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), and orbit as directed by Fargo Tower within Class D airspace. Chase will maneuver into position behind the

RPA and report “In position” on inter-plane frequency, when joined with the RPA.

b. Airborne rejoin – The RPA will notify Chase of current position and altitude. Chase will climb and maintain 500 feet below the RPA’s altitude until visual. Chase will report “visual,” maneuver to rejoin, and report “in position” on inter-plane frequency.

11. DISTANCE MINIMUMS: When Chase has the RPA in sight, and has reported “In position,”,

a. Chase will maintain a distance of 300’ to 2500’ laterally from the RPA.

b. Chase will remain within +/-500’ of the RPA altitude.

c. Chase aircraft should maintain a position slightly higher or lower and 20 to 45 degrees left or right of the

RPA.

12. EQUIPMENT PROCEDURES:

a. Chase and RPA will operate beacons and strobe lights during all operations to increase visibility for other aircraft.

b. Once Chase is “in position,” the RPA will transmit the transponder code for the formation. Chase will squawk ‘standby’ while joined with the RPA.

c. Chase will comply with FAA standards for onboard equipment.

13. CHASE COMMUNICATION PROCEDURES:

a. Two way radio communications will be maintained between Chase and the RPA at all times.

b. The RPA will call all altitude and airspeed changes.

c. Once Chase calls “In position,” the RPA crew will perform ATC radio communications for the formation and Chase will monitor the appropriate frequencies.

d. Once released by the RPA crew, Chase will advise ATC of intentions.

14. RESTRICTED AREA ENTRY:

a. Chase will execute a rejoin on takeoff and escort the RPA to R-5403.

b. Approximate Restricted Area entry point coordinates in R-5403 – N 47 35 36 W 098 23 34 (FAR 300 Radial at 81 nm).

c. The RPA will climb to 10,000’ MSL, or above, once cleared to enter R-5403, (floor of R-5403 is 10,000’

MSL).

d. RPA will release Chase once established in R-5403.

e. Chase will squawk mode 3 and advise ATC of intentions once released from observer duties.

15. RESTRICTED AREA DEPARTURE / RETURN TO KFAR:

a. Chase will arrive at the rendezvous point no later than the scheduled time.

b. Rendezvous procedures will be conducted IAW paragraph 10.b. above. Once Chase has visually acquired the

UA, the UA pilot will obtain an ATC clearance for the flight to exit restricted airspace and return to KFAR.

c. If the UA is executing one landing to a full-stop, Chase will execute a low-approach and notify Tower of intentions once the UA has landed. If the UA is planning to perform multiple patterns at Hector IAP, Chase will be released once visual scanning responsibilities are assumed by a ground-based observer.

16. LOSS OF COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN CHASE & RPA:

a. Loss of communications between the RPA & Chase is an emergency condition and must be communicated to ATC by either party through any means necessary.

b. If a loss of communication between the RPA & Chase is recognized by either party, Chase will maintain position on the RPA and continue visual observer duties. Chase & the RPA will attempt to contact each other via cellular device and Chase will continue to make radio calls to the RPA in the blind. The RPA will report the loss of communications capability to ATC & advise ATC of intentions.

17. LOSS OF VISUAL CONTACT:

a. Loss of visual contact between the RPA & Chase is an emergency condition. The RPA will notify ATC of the emergency and will advise of intentions.

b. If Chase loses visual with the RPA, immediate separation is essential. Upon losing sight of the RPA, Chase will report “Lost visual” on inter-plane frequency. The RPA will acknowledge the “Lost visual” call and immediately transmit heading, altitude, and airspeed. Chase will turn 15° away from the RPA’s heading and obtain 500’ altitude separation. The RPA will remain predictable and continue its current flight path unless directed otherwise. The RPA will continue to make position reports and Chase will maintain a minimum of 500 feet altitude separation until visual contact is regained.

18. ENCOUNTERING IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions): The RPA will attempt to avoid IMC penetration during Chase operations, however, if inadvertent IMC penetration occurs resulting in lost visual contact, immediate separation from the RPA is essential. Chase will maintain VMC and execute the Loss of Visual Contact procedures in paragraph (17) above. If Chase encounters IMC, the RPA will notify ATC of the emergency and advise of intentions.

19. AIRCRAFT EMERGENCY:

a. If the RPA experiences an in-flight emergency, the crew will communicate intentions to Chase. Chase will maintain position, if able, through recovery and provide assistance, as requested by the RPA.

b. If Chase experiences an in-flight emergency, they will communicate intentions to the RPA. Chase will comply with aircraft flight manual and company SOP in response to the emergency.

c. If Chase cannot safely continue to execute scanning responsibilities for any reason, (i.e. weather penetration, low on fuel, potential threat of collision, or aircraft emergency), Chase will break formation with the RPA & report intentions to ATC. The RPA will notify ATC of the emergency and will advise of intentions.

20. NIGHT CHASE:

a. The chase aircraft provider will ensure that qualified crew members are adequately trained to provide night chase support. Night rendezvous procedures are inherently dangerous; therefore, it is imperative that chase pilots and observers receive contractor-provided training in formation flight path de-confliction, terrain awareness/avoidance, night spatial disorientation and mid-air collision avoidance.

b. As outlined in paragraph 3.a., night chase requests will typically be requested by Friday for the following week’s chase support. However, the possibility exists that night chase support will be requested on short notice due to real-world State and Federal tasking. These particular missions require chase to be overhead KFAR within 6 hours of notice.

c. Prior to launch for night operations, the chase crew will check in with the Supervisor of Flying (SOF) for a formal crew briefing.

21. LETTER(s) OF AGREEMENT (LOA):

All Chase pilots will be familiar with the current Certificate of Authorization as well as applicable Letters of

Agreement between Fargo Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), Minneapolis Air Route Traffic

Control Center (ARTCC), and the 119th Wing, NDANG. These documents will be supplied to the contractor by the 119th Wing, and the contractor will maintain a copy of the current LOAs and attachments in their on-board Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Updates to LOAs may necessitate slight changes to the operating procedures prescribed in this document.

22. CHANGES TO CHASE CREW OR EQUIPMENT:

Only the equipment, pilots, and observers described in the proposal may be used in the performance of the required services. If the status of any of the qualifications of these is changed, the Contractor must notify the

End User / Ordering Officer immediately, prior to any subsequent flight operations. Revised qualifications and/or substitutions of personnel or equipment MUST be approved in writing by the End User / Ordering

Officer prior to subsequent operations. The End User / Ordering Officer will advise the Contracting Officer of said changes, and provide written approval of the changes/substitutions to both the Contractor and the

Contracting Officer.

23. CONTRACT MANHOURS REPORTING APPLICATION (CMRA):

The Contractor shall report ALL contractor Labor Hours (including subcontractor labor hours) required for performance of services provided under this contract for the Department of the Air Force via a secure data collection site. The contractor is required to completely fill in all required data fields using the following web address: https://www.ecmra.mil/. Reporting inputs will be for the labor executed during the period of performance during each Government Fiscal Year (FY) which runs from October 1 thru September 30. While inputs may be reported any time during the FY, all data shall be reported no later than October 31 of each calendar year. Contractors may direct questions to the helpdesk at https://www.ecmra.mil. Unit Identification

Code (UIC) for the Requiring Activity: F7B1FG / Issuing Office DoDAAC: W901UZ.

24. INVOICING AND ACCEPTANCE:

The responsible contractor who is selected to perform chase plane services shall be required to submit monthly invoices through Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF). If requested, the contractor may submit invoices on a weekly basis if approved by the Contracting Officer. Invoice acceptance shall be completed by the end user.

The Department of Defense requires vendors to submit invoices in the Wide Area Workflow System (WAWF);

please go to https://wawf.eb.mil/ for more information.