Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
Airborne Special Operations Testing Directorate Wet Blade Hours IDIQ
Department of Defense · Department of the Army
AI summaryThe Army's Mission and Installation Contracting Command at Fort Bragg wants a small business to supply aircraft, pilots and mechanics for military parachute flights for the Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate. It is one indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, where the Army places orders as needed, with ordering from December 1, 2026 to November 30, 2031. The response due date is November 2, 2026, 10:00 AM Eastern, and award goes to the lowest price among technically acceptable quotes. More in the summary
A newer version of this notice was posted Oct 26, 2026. See the latest version.
AI summary Beta
Summary of the version posted Oct 20, 2026. The notice was amended Oct 26, 2026. Check what else changed on SAM.gov. The notice looks incomplete: Parts of the conformed solicitation copy and the wage determination (2015-4377, Revision 33) text couldn't be read; check the wage determination and the full solicitation on SAM.gov for the labor rates and any missing sections. Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The Army's Mission and Installation Contracting Command at Fort Bragg wants a small business to supply aircraft, pilots and mechanics for military parachute flights for the Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate. It is one indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, where the Army places orders as needed, with ordering from December 1, 2026 to November 30, 2031. The response due date is November 2, 2026, 10:00 AM Eastern, and award goes to the lowest price among technically acceptable quotes.
Who can bid (5)
- Small business set-aside: only small businesses under NAICS 481211 can be awarded this contract
- Be a DoD-approved commercial operator listed on the Air Mobility Command Commercial Airlift Review Board (CARB) Paratroop Commercial Operator Listing, or hold a current passing DoD inspection report under DoD Instruction 4500.53
- Hold an active FAA Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate, or approved FAA Part 91 operator status with USSOCOM J-31 approval
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- Provide a CASA 212 or equivalent rear-ramp aircraft able to use dirt runways of at least 1,400 feet
- Pilots with active FAA commercial pilot licenses with instrument ratings and current medical certificates, and FAA-licensed mechanics
How to submit: Email to Christopher Green, contract specialist (Christopher.L.Green70.civ@army.mil) and Katie Derra, contracting officer (katie.e.derra.civ@army.mil). What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (11)
- Serious: Small business set-aside. Only small businesses can win this award, and the small business limit on subcontracting (no more than 50 percent of the money paid to non-similar firms) applies.
- Serious: Must already be a DoD-approved paratroop operator with an FAA Part 135 certificate. Proof of listing (or a passing DoD inspection) and the FAA certificate is due in the quote; a new air operator is likely shut out.
- Serious: Aircraft must meet detailed specifications. The aircraft must use 1,400-foot dirt runways, carry up to 6,000 pounds of cargo, climb to 12,500 to 15,000 feet and do three high-altitude lifts before refueling.
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- Worth checking: 24-hour aircraft recovery. A grounded aircraft must be repaired, returned to service or replaced within 24 hours during a scheduled exercise, so you need backup aircraft and maintenance access.
- Worth checking: High insurance limit. Aviation liability insurance of $10,000,000 per occurrence is required, and the Government may require higher limits.
- Worth checking: Pilot medical certificate class differs. The evaluation criteria call for First-Class medical certificates, while the performance work statement (PWS) asks for a second-class certificate; ask the contracting officer which applies.
- Worth checking: Paratrooper seating requirement differs. The quote instructions say seats for 20 combat-equipped paratroopers, while the evaluation criteria say 15 combat-equipped or 20 non-combat-equipped; ask the contracting officer which applies.
- Worth checking: Low guaranteed minimum and small work volume. The contract minimum is $500 and the maximum $500,000, with about 30 flight hours a year estimated, so orders may be small and uneven.
- Minor: Questions were due Oct 23, 2026. Check the amendments for the agency's answers.
- Minor: End of extension period differs: April 30, 2032 or May 30, 2032. The ordering clause allows extended services to April 30, 2032, while the PWS shows a planned end of May 30, 2032.
- Minor: Weather cancellation charges. The price schedule must account for a half blade hour fee when the Government calls off a mission within 4 hours of takeoff for weather, and a one-hour penalty for 0 to 24 hours notice.
Read from the notice and 4 attachments. Show which files.
- Solicitation Amendment W9124727QA004 P0001 SF 30.pdf (read)
- Conformed Copy - W9124727QA004 P0001.pdf (read)
- Performance Work Statement 2026.10.15.pdf (read)
- Wage Determination No._ 2015-4377 Revision No_ 33.pdf (read)
Full summary
What they want
- Flight services with a CASA 212 (or equivalent) rear-ramp aircraft for static line jumps (a cord pulls the parachute open) and military free fall jumps, plus cargo airdrops up to 6,000 pounds
- FAA-licensed pilots and mechanics, plus a project manager reachable 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday with an after-hours phone number
- Day and night flights; the aircraft is reserved for the directorate on a 60-day request from the contracting officer's representative (COR, the Army's technical point of contact)
- Estimated 30 flight hours per year, about 150 flight hours over the life of the contract
- Repair, return to service or replace a grounded aircraft within 24 hours during a scheduled exercise
- Landing permits and airfield clearances (DD Forms 2400, 2401 and 2402) for Pope Army Airfield, Simmons Army Airfield, Camp Mackall and Fort Bragg drop zones
- After award: project manager name and pilot licenses within 10 days, quality control plan within 30 days, I WATCH (suspicious activity reporting) and anti-terrorism/operations security training within 30 days
- A working FAA-approved towed-parachutist retrieval system on aircraft used for static line missions, and room for Government cameras and recorders on board
- Contract type
- Single-award IDIQ, firm-fixed-price (one set price per task order); task orders priced from the quoted hourly labor and aircraft rates
- Period of performance
- Ordering period December 1, 2026 to November 30, 2031 (5 years), plus up to 6 months of extended services under FAR 52.217-8
- Place of performance
- Fort Bragg, NC, USA, and surrounding airfields (Pope Army Airfield, Simmons Army Airfield, Camp Mackall)
- Estimated value
- Contract minimum $500.00 and maximum $500,000.00 (order limits in Section B); no Government estimate is given
- How they'll choose
- Lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA): the lowest reasonable price among quotes rated Acceptable on every Mission Capability subfactor
- Offers due
- November 2, 2026, 10:00 AM Eastern (from the version posted Oct 20, 2026; amended since)
- How to submit
- Email to Christopher Green, contract specialist (Christopher.L.Green70.civ@army.mil) and Katie Derra, contracting officer (katie.e.derra.civ@army.mil)
- Page limits
- Volume I (Mission Capability): 20 pages; Volume II (Price): no limit
What they'll judge offers on
- Factor 1, Mission Capability (Acceptable or Unacceptable; all subfactors equal): (1a) aircraft capabilities and performance, (1b) staffing approach, (1c) maintenance, inspection and aviation compliance
- Factor 2, Price (not scored): fair, reasonable, complete and balanced, including the 6-month extension priced at the fifth-year rates
What to include when you submit
- Send two separate volumes: Volume I, Mission Capability (MS Word or searchable PDF, no pricing) and Volume II, Price (unprotected MS Excel pricing matrix plus an optional narrative in MS Word or searchable PDF)
- Include a separate cover sheet with the company's legal name and address, CAGE code, unique entity identifier (UEI), tax ID number, and the name and title of the person who can sign and negotiate
- Cover sheet must state the quote is valid for at least 90 days and is submitted in response to Solicitation W91247-27-Q-A004 (Amendment 0001 corrected the number from W91247-26-Q-A031), and must acknowledge receipt of any amendments
- Subfactor 1a: describe the aircraft fleet (CASA 212 or equivalent) with technical specification sheets, altitude and lift data, and FAA-approved certification data for the static-line anchor cable and the towed-parachutist retrieval system
- Subfactor 1b: show FAA-licensed pilots and mechanics, pilot rest and night operations plans, and the project manager's availability
- Subfactor 1c: show an FAA-approved maintenance program (time control document, required inspection items, minimum equipment list), proof of listing as a DoD-approved paratroop commercial operator with an active FAA Part 135 certificate, and a maintenance support plan for 24-hour recovery
- Volume II: a priced staffing matrix with labor rates for all positions under wage determination 2015-4377 Revision 33 (dated August 20, 2026), plus hourly aircraft pricing including fuel, operating cost, maintenance and yearly escalation
- Price CLIN 0001 with a fully burdened hourly labor rate for each year and the aircraft operating cost per hour; round all totals to two decimal places
- Mark the price volume clearly with the solicitation number; pilot licenses and the CARB or U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) inspection results are also listed as due with the proposal in the deliverables schedule
After award, you must have
- Maintain aviation liability insurance of at least $10,000,000 per occurrence, naming the United States as an additional insured; certificates are due before performance starts From Performance Work Statement 2026.10.15.pdf:
…not less than $10,000,000 Combined Single Limit (CSL) per occurrence…
Current contractor
No incumbent is named, and the documents do not call this a follow-on or recompete.
Not in the notice text
- Parts of the conformed solicitation copy and the wage determination (2015-4377, Revision 33) text couldn't be read; check the wage determination and the full solicitation on SAM.gov for the labor rates and any missing sections.
- The wage determination's labor classes and hourly rates are not readable here, so the required service wage floor for pilots, mechanics and the project manager is unknown.
- Whether a site visit is offered is not stated.
- Task order sizes and the mix of static line, free fall and cargo missions are not stated beyond the 30 flight hours per year estimate.
Eligibility and how to respond
- Set aside for small businesses: only a business that counts as small under this notice's NAICS code can bid as the prime contractor. More open small business set-asides under NAICS 481211
- How to submit, from the AI summary: Email to Christopher Green, contract specialist (Christopher.L.Green70.civ@army.mil) and Katie Derra, contracting officer (katie.e.derra.civ@army.mil). Check it in the notice before you send anything.
- Service contracts usually set minimum pay rates (the Service Contract Act). Price the labor with the SCA price calculator.
Notice details
- Posted
- Oct 20, 2026
- Notice type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- Office
- W6QM MICC FDO FT Bragg, Fort Bragg, NC
- Product/service code
- V221 · Transportation/Travel/Relocation – Travel/Lodging/Recruitment: Passenger Air Charter
- Business type
- Transportation, logistics & vehicles (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 481211)
- Versions
3 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 26, 2026 · Amendment 0002Due Nov 2, 2026
- Oct 20, 2026 · Amendment 0001 (this version)Due Nov 2, 2026
- Oct 19, 2026 · Combined Synopsis/SolicitationDue Nov 2, 2026
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
- How to respond to a solicitation (8 steps)
- How to read a government solicitation
- How to price a government contract
- Set-aside contracts explained
Terms on this notice: Solicitation, Set-aside
Latest amendment note (Amendment 1) from SAM.gov
***Amendment 0001*** The purpose of this amendment was to correct discrepancies regarding the solicitation number; W91247-26-Q-A031 has been corrected to W91247-27-Q-A004. The Mission and Installation Contracting Command – Fort Bragg (MICC – FB) has a requirement for Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate to perform flight services and conduct military Static Line (SL) or Military Free Fall (MFF) parachute operations as defined in the Performance Work Statement. This will be a non-personal services contract
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