Kit Helicopter Operations LLC

Kit Helicopter Operations LLC, a limited liability company based in Terreton, Idaho, operates as a prime contractor delivering aerial firefighting and helicopter support services to federal wildland fire management agencies, with 100 percent of its federal award footprint concentrated in Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 helicopter operations under multiple indefinite delivery contracts.

The company competes full-and-open without set-aside designations on the majority of its work; it holds one position on a $49.5 million Total Small Business set-aside IDIQ awarded by the Interior Business Center for on-call Type III helicopter flight services running through April 30, 2027. The company's federal customer base is strictly concentrated: the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), a civilian agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management division, funds 73 of 74 awards totaling $100.1 million in combined potential value; the Interior Business Center accounts for the remaining award, the $49.5 million Type III set-aside IDIQ. NIFC task orders span fire suppression, aerial ignition, short-haul and rappel operations, reconnaissance, search and rescue, law enforcement surveillance, and logistics support across federal lands in the western United States, with place of performance locations including Terreton and Pocatello, Idaho; Tucson, Arizona; and Mena, Arkansas.

Kit Helicopter's recent delivery-order activity shows seasonality aligned with wildfire demand. Award volume peaked at 23 in FY2023, declined to 12 in FY2024, and recovered to 14 in FY2025; seven awards have been issued year-to-date in 2026. The company holds positions on four primary parent vehicles: the Type 1 Helicopter Support Services 2025-2034 IDIQ (19 task orders, $14.4 million combined potential value), an Indefinite Delivery Contract under NIFC (26 task orders, $8.1 million), a Basic Ordering Agreement also under NIFC (20 task orders, $3.1 million), and the Type 3 Helicopter Support Services 2023-2032 IDIQ awarded April 12, 2023 ($10 million ceiling, 3 task orders, $6.4 million combined potential value). The Type 1 2025-2034 vehicle, awarded January 1, 2025, carries a $50 million ceiling through December 31, 2034. Representative recent task orders include $7.125 million (May 6, 2025, Total Small Business set-aside, Pocatello operations), $5.318 million for Type 3 services in Tucson with completion December 31, 2028 (FY2024 invoiced $1.6 million across 0.8 FTEs at $1,047/hr), and multiple orders in the $300,000–$700,000 range issued during peak fire seasons July–September annually.

Service Contract Inventory data captures $4.5 million in FY2024 SCI-reported invoicing (no FY2023 SCI activity recorded) across 2.7 FTEs as prime, with government-paid median hourly rates around $703/hr and senior labor pricing to $895/hr. SCI coverage is a subset of federal services contracts above $150,000 and excludes goods, products, and the vendor's non-federal revenue; the $4.5 million and 2.7-FTE figures are not representative of the company's total federal services footprint, which includes substantial delivery orders below the SCI threshold and goods (aircraft). The vendor self-performs all work with zero subcontractor hours across SCI-reportable contracts.

Recompete exposure in the next twenty-four months is minimal: only one award (a $82,374 Type 3 delivery order with completion December 31, 2027) sits within that window. The Type 2 IDIQ was closed as of May 20, 2025 after the company sold its only helicopter assigned to that vehicle. Kit Helicopter's service footprint is narrowly specialized in rotorcraft operations for federal fire management, with no diversification into other service categories or customer agencies evident in the award record.