US Forest Service Smokejumper Aircraft Services

This notice is to announce award of contrats to Bighorn Airways and Leading Edge Aviation Services. See attachment for more details. The intent of this solicitation, and any resultant contracts, is to obtain services of commercially provided aircraft fully operated by qualified personnel and equipped to meet specifications for use in administration and protection of Public Lands. The Government intends to award multiple Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP), with an Economic Price Adjustment (EPA) type contracts, for a base year and three option years not to exceed four years total. The contracts will have fixed priced availability rates and fixed price with economic price adjustments for the flight rates. One aircraft will be awarded for CLINS 1 through 6. More than one aircraft may be awarded for CLIN 7. Due to the volatile fluctuation in aviation fuel prices; the flight rates will be adjusted based on increases and decreases to the prices of aviation fuel as indicated in the economic price adjustment clause specified in the contract. This smokejumper contract program requires the Contractors to provide their aircraft services during certain Mandatory Availability Periods (MAPs) for the exclusive use of the Government. They are paid a daily availability rate during the MAP and an hourly flight rate when they are flown. We specify an exact period of time the aircraft must be available and the Contractor receives a firm-fixed-priced payment for each day of availability. We also have fixed hourly/unit flight rates that the vendor receives for each hour that the aircraft is flown. However, if the aircraft is never flown the vendor does not receive any payment for flight time.