Additional Aircraft for Arctic Pioneering Air Charter Services to Undersea Warfighting Development Center Detachment Arctic Submarine Laboratory Arctic Exercise (ARCEX) 2025

Note: The requirements under this RFQ are in addition to the requirements under RFQ HTC71125QCC02, posted 31 December 2024.

For this reqiuirement, Air Operators do not need to be DoD CARB approved, per reference (a) and (b), to submit proposals for chartered air services as the aircraft will not carry Department of Defense (DoD) personnel or cargo. Two pilots are required for all flights, even with single engine aircraft if that aircraft supports a second pilot.

The aircraft will conduct operations from Deadhorse Airport (IATA: SCC/ICAO: PASC) and support flights to ice floes approximately 100 nautical miles (NM) to 225 NM from the airport in the northern direction (i.e. this is one-way distance from Deadhorse Airport and there is no fuel available en route or at the target ice floe). The aircraft must be equipped with GPS, navigation, and communication equipment. Air Operators are expected to procure fuel for their aircraft.

Contractor shall conduct charter aircraft service to cover a Pioneering Landing. The Pioneering Landing flight is the aircraft that conducts the initial landing on the sea-ice; there is no person on the ice at this time, the snow/ice is not groomed for a runway or skiway (i.e. unimproved landing site), and no measured ice thickness is available (although predicted ice thickness may be available). The plane may use wheels, skis, or a combination and have endurance minimum of five hours to travel to various ice floes, which have been selected by the Navy through satellite imagery analysis, approximately 100 NM to 225 NM from Deadhorse Airport (SCC) in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. The aircraft must be able to operate without a groomed runway. The aircraft operator and pilots must have experience with Pioneering Landings. The aircraft must be able to take off and land on the sea-ice in under 1,500 feet but a distance of 1,000 feet or less is highly preferred. Conventional landing gear (i.e. tail-wheel gear) equipped aircraft is highly preferred for this operation. Preferred aircraft for this specific operation is the de Havilland Otter (DHC-3) with wheel-ski configuration.

The aircraft shall accommodate at least four passengers, although the capability to accommodate more passengers is preferred. The experienced pilot will select a suitable landing site on the ice with the guidance and concurrence from an onboard, contracted subject matter expert. The aircraft must provide payload capacity for at least 2,000 lbs. to accommodate personnel and equipment. Contracted personnel may bring ice augers, scientific equipment, communications equipment, emergency survival gear, electrical generators, and shelters. The contracted representative will provide survival gear (e.g. survival tent, insulated air pads, sleeping bags, Iridium phones with GPS) to accommodate passengers.

It is expected that the aircraft will remain on the sea-ice for approximately 1 – 3 hours during Pioneering Flights to conduct ice surveys.

The projected service period will be 23-26 February 2025.

Minimum Guaranteed Flight Hours: 15 total flight hours.

Potential Total Flight Hours: 20 total flight hours.