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National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson BoulevardArlington, Virginia 22230
MEMORANDUM FOR ALL POTENTIAL OFFERORSFROM:National Science FoundationDivision of Contracts and Complex Agreements4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 475Arlington, VA 22230SUBJECT: Information provided in response to questions submitted by industry1.In order to properly cost for this requirement it is necessary to have a definitive number of additional pilots that the Government could order for additional work. Can the Governmentspecify the number of additional pilots that could be ordered?
 
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 2.Would the Government consider 30 days notice in lieu of the specified 10-day notice?
The requirement has been changed to 30 days notice.
3. What is the last month's invoiced amount and/or Schedule B award amount for this contract?
Some financial information is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and is non-releasable, however the total value of the previous effort (5 yr effort) was $16M. Be advised thecontract structure has changed considerably and previous years’ pricing may or may not correlate to the new effort.
4. C2.4.1 Please clarify if the intent by the government is for the contractor to provide helmetsfor personnel to wear who are not contractor personnel?
The intention is for the contractor to provide helmets for all personnel, contractor and non-contractor personnel, who fly on thehelicopters.
5. Re: requirement for the installation of a Tailboom Strake Kit manufactured by Boundary Layer Research, Inc., on the BH 212 or 205 aircraft that are required for the medium helicopter role.The contract paragraph is ‘C4.2.36’. In “Information Letter #205-04-35” published by BellHelicopter Textron, the company has indicated that they have received reports of cracks in thetailbooms of 212 and 412 aircraft equipped with this kit. The company believes that the cracksare the result of the installation of the kit. The letter further states that Bell Helicopter has notauthorized the installation of this kit.
The NSF technical experts have conducted research into this topic. Only four aircraft have beenadversely affected by the installation of the strakes kits. Based upon the small number of incidents, reported by only one customer, there is a high probability that the damage is purely dueto negligence during installation. Therefore the NSF is keeping the requirement for these Strakekits in. 
6. B2. Please verify that support equipment and material will be redeployed by Governmentonly to Port Lyttleton, NZ in Year 7.
The text should read Port Hueneme, not Port Lyttleton
.7. C4.2.33 Need clarification that contractor is to provide cargo nets, rigging, and other components necessary to transport cargo by long line. Item C4.2.33 states that the External LongLine Equipment will be GFP (Attachment 12). 
 Attachment 12 lists all Government provided 
 
lifting equipment. The Awardee is to provide all other lifting equipment it deems necessary to perform the mission. The NSF must first approve the purchase of any additional, necessarylifting equipment.
8. C2.41 Please confirm if contractor is to provide flight helmets for crew, helitecs, and passengers. If so, at what quantity? 
The Contractor is to provide helmets for all personnel manifested on the aircraft. Quantity of helmets is to be established by the Contractor so that all  passengers, at any time during the season, will be issued a helmet.  As with the lifting equipment,the helmets will be GFP but revert to CFP end of year one.
 9. F1. Please confirm that contract award date is anticipated on/about July 1, 2006.
Contract  start date is anticipated in July, however contract award date is anticipated to be in May. Anearlier start date is negotiable due to the purchase of long lead items.
 10. Item F3.2 What is availability period the Government will establish for the AIRCRAFT – for example, are (3) aircraft required at 14 hours each and (1) aircraft required for 24 hours? If this is the case, what are the normal hours of operation that define the 14 hours of availability for the (3) aircraft in this category? 
The aircraft should be available 24hrs per day, with exceptions for planned maintenance (to occur outside of scheduled flight operations). The flight schedule isdetermined by NSF research requirements and is not always consistent to a standard 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. shift. Therefore schedule flexibility is required to adequately support the mission
. 11. Item F3.3 Please clarify Extended Availability. Is extended availability referring toavailability beyond 8 hours of flight time per pilot? In other words, is one additional PICrequired to be available should all pilots reach the 8 hour flight limit? The intent of this item isnot understood.
This item has been redacted. F3.3 is hereby revised as follows: F3.3 Reserved 
. 12. Item F5.2.1 What is the non-availability penalty rate for helicopter(s) utilized for 24 hour service? This item addresses single crewed aircraft only at 1/14 per non-available hour.
 F5.2.1 is Amended as  follows: F5.2.1 Payment will be made for daily availability at the rates set forth inthe Schedule of Items except that availability will be reduced for each hour or portion thereof  service is listed as unavailable as follows:1/24 of the daily rate per hour not to exceed 24/24 per day
 
13.
Will the Government consider a grace period for unavailability, especially if the contractor meets mission requirements in an operational day?
Yes, the NSF will consider a grace period on a case-by-case basis, however aircraft maintenance should be conducted outsideof scheduled flight operations to the maximum extent possible.
 
14.
Will award be made in time to procure aircraft? 
We anticipate awarding a contract in Mayor June of 2006. Contract performance can begin (i.e. ordering supplies and acquiring helicopters) before July, if needed.
15.Given this program consists of 140 days per year, is it an option to demobilize theaircraft after each season and mobilize the aircraft again the following year? If so,will the US Military assist with the transportation? Where will the aircraft be
 
transported to New Zealand or the United States?
Transportation to/from Antarcticaeach season is not available. The intention is for the contractor to leave the aircraft on theice during the winter period.
16.Given the crew requirements listed on page 9, please show the schedule so thatC1.1.4 and C3.4.2.2 can be met.
See attached sample schedule
.17.FAA requires one pilot when carrying nine (9) passengers or less. If ten passenger or more are carried, two pilots must be used. Will the Bell 212'sconsist of a single pilot crew?
The NSF doesn’t anticipate needing to carry morethan 9 passengers on the helicopter 90% of the time. The operator can propose single-pilot ops -- adding 2 pilots when they feel it's needed. It is advisable for the Contractor to have provisions for dual pilot capability
.18.Is it the contractor's responsibility to provide helmets for all crew members.Given passengers varying head size, this has been difficult to get a proper fit.
The contractor will need to provide a range of helmet sizes to ensure ones of  proper fit are available for the crew and passengers.
19.Is there a charge for contractor personnel to attend the NSF survival school?
 Nocharge.
 20.Please describe the NSF survival school?
The required course consists of a 2-day program that combines classroom instruction in basic Antarctic survival techniques with an overnight field program. Personnel are provided with basicinstruction in the use of survival bags, cold weather camping techniques,altitude-related illness and safety issues, and general USAP field operations.This is a standard course for all USAP participants working in the field.Specialized instruction is available for personnel doing more technical fieldwork (e.g. crevasse fieldwork).
21.C9.5 states, "The contractor shall dispose of all wastes generated..." F7. states"the government will also provide...waste disposal.." Which is correct? provideswaste disposal for waste generated in Antarctica22.Will there be work on Sundays that would count toward duty times?
Sundaywork may be required based on operational needs during the season and will count toward Duty time.
23.Where is the USAP's Annual Planning meeting usually held?
The meeting is held in the United States and rotates depending on the sponsoring agency. Recent meetings have been held in Syracuse, NY, Charleston, SC, Philadelphia, PA, and  Denver, CO. APC meeting specifics will be released at least several months inadvance. Hotel reservations must be coordinated with RPSC.
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