Exclusive Use Helicopter Flight Services, Yellowst

The Department of the Interior, Interior Business Center, seeks exclusive use helicopter flight services for Yellowstone National Park with proposals due October 26, 2026. This is a 100 percent Women-Owned Small Business set-aside.

The five-year IDIQ contract runs March 1, 2027 through February 29, 2032, with an exclusive use period of 120 calendar days annually (June 1 through September 29). Place of performance is Mammoth, Wyoming, supporting fire suppression, search and rescue, short-haul, STEP landings, and resource activities for the U.S. Wildland Fire Service.

The Government requires a single light turbine helicopter equipped with five insured passenger seats (pilot excluded), a jettisonable payload of 1,000 pounds, 130-knot VNE airspeed, skid landing gear, crash-resistant fuel system, and dual hydraulics. The BLR FastFin or equivalent tail system is mandatory; Fenestron and H145 factory designs are not accepted as equivalents. The external cargo basket must have a 300-pound minimum load capacity, and the baggage compartment must be separate from the cabin. The contractor provides dedicated crew (pilot and mechanic/crew member), all maintenance, inspections, fuel, insurance, and crew training to maintain continuous availability.

The contract carries a contract ceiling of $8,000,000 with a minimum guarantee of 120 days of daily availability in the base year. Estimated quantities are 120 guaranteed days and 250 flight hours annually, with extensions for 30 days and 50 flight hours. Pricing must cover all five contract years and is subject to economic price adjustments for jet fuel fluctuations. Service Contract Act wage determinations apply, with prevailing rates for pilots, co-pilots, aerial photographers, aircraft mechanics, and related occupations.

NAICS is 481211, Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation. An amendment posted October 19, 2026, answered prospective offerors' questions and clarified technical specifications. Contracting officer is Melanie Johnson.