C-208/PC-12 Special Missions Aircrew & Maintenance Training

1. Title: Request for Information (RFI): Foreign Military Sales – C208/PC12 Aircraft Training Services and Related Training Support Services

2. Purpose:

The Air Force Installation Contracting Center (AFICC) 338th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron (ESS) is conducting market research for the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Air Force Security Assistance Training (AFSAT) Squadron to identify capable commercial sources that may be able to provide aircraft training and support services for the Cessna 208B Caravan EX (C208) aircraft with Garmin 1000 avionics and Pilatus PC-12 NG aircraft with Honeywell Primus Apex. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 611512 – Flight Training, Small Business Administration (SBA) Small Business Size Standard is $34M.

AFSAT seeks information to identify potential sources and gather information regarding industry capability, capacity, experience, training methods, facilities, simulators or training devices, instructor qualifications, maintenance-training capabilities, and other related services supporting aircrew and maintenance personnel for the C-208/PC-12 platforms. The information requested by this RFI is for market research only and will be used by the Air Force Multi-Functional Team (MFT) to assist in acquisition planning for potential future requirements.

Responses to this RFI will be used for planning and market-research purposes only.

3. Background:

AFSAT has a potential requirement for contractor-provided training support associated with C-208 and PC-12 aircraft operations and sustainment. The anticipated support may include initial, recurrent, mission-specific, maintenance, and other aircraft-related training for Government personnel and International Military Students (IMS). The Department of War (DOW) training venues do not have existing capacity to support the additional requirement of Cessna 208 Mission Pilot, Mission Systems Operator (MSO) and Load Master (LM) training, in the Airland/Airdrop/ISR/ Night Vision Goggle (NVG) mission sets and Pilatus PC-12 Mission Pilot, MSO and LM training, in the Airland/Airdrop/ISR/NVG mission sets.

The Government is interested in identifying sources capable of supporting training at contractor facilities, Government facilities, or other mutually agreed locations internationally, as applicable.

3. Potential Scope of Training Support

AETC/A3F and AFSAT are tasked with providing pilot, Mission Systems Operator (MSO) and Loadmaster (LM) training services for its government personnel and international partners.  Due to the nature and extent of personnel that require training throughout the USA and internationally, the required Contractor support services include flying training to meet the needs of the Air Force (AF) mission and the flying training requirements of our international partners. The Contractor shall obtain aircraft for use in training, maintenance of the aircraft and/or related equipment while in CONUS (OCONUS will require Contracted Logistics Support (CLS)), aircrew instructors, and student documentation for certification of pilots at the end of the training. 

• None of the training includes combat missions or services that are intended to determine pilot requirements for readiness by the AF and AFSAT.
• The AF and AFSAT will utilize the Cessna 208B EX Garmin 1000 aircraft and Pilatus PC-12 Honeywell Primus APEX.
• The AF mission will extend over to aircrew international military operations where support for foreign language assistance is needed (interpreters as required).
• Currency training is also an on-going need as students are at various levels or phases of pilot experience. This educational element will require continuous learning certification to maintain aircrew flying currency and proficiency for USG and international personnel respectively.

Interested vendors shall describe their ability to provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, non-personal services, and other items necessary to perform aircrew, maintenance, and training services for Cessna 208/Pilatus PC-12 platforms. Training includes: Mission Pilot, MSO and LM in the Airland/Airdrop/ISR/NVG mission sets and could include some or all of the following services:

3.1 Aircrew Training Support Services

Potential aircrew training may include:

• Initial and recurrent pilot training.
• Ground school instruction.
• Aircraft systems training.
• Normal, abnormal, emergency, and emergency-procedure training.
• Flight training and proficiency events.
• Instrument Flight rules (IFR) training, as applicable.
• Crew Resource Management (CRM) or equivalent crew-coordination training.
• Mission-oriented training tailored to Government operational requirements, if applicable.
• Instructor pilot and standardization support.
• Check airman or evaluation support, if applicable and authorized.
• Training records administration and student performance tracking.
• Computer-based training, distributed learning, and instructor-led classroom instruction.

3.2 Aircraft Maintenance Training Support Services

Potential maintenance training may include:

• Initial and recurrent maintenance technician training.
• Airframe, powerplant, avionics, electrical, and aircraft systems training.
• Troubleshooting, fault isolation, inspection, servicing, repair, and replacement procedures.
• Engine maintenance training, including applicable manufacturer-supported maintenance practices.
• Propeller, landing gear, environmental, fuel, hydraulic, electrical, and avionics-system instruction, as applicable.
• Maintenance documentation, technical data, parts support, and maintenance-record training.
• Maintenance human factors and safety training.
• Train-the-trainer or instructor development programs.
• Specialized training for field-level, intermediate-level, or organizational-level maintenance personnel, as applicable.

3.3 Additional Training and Support Services

Interested vendors should also identify their capability to provide:

• Flight training devices (FTDs), full-flight simulators, fixed-base simulators, or other training devices.
• Simulator-based emergency-procedure and instrument training.
• Aircraft-specific courseware development, revision, and sustainment.
• Training needs analysis and curriculum development.
• Mobile training teams (MTTs).
• On-site or deployed training support.
• Training program management and scheduling.
• Student training records, certificates, and completion documentation.
• Training program quality assurance and continuous-improvement processes.
• Training facility support, classrooms, briefing rooms, and equipment.
• Training materials, technical publications, and student handouts.
• Training support for avionics upgrades, aircraft modifications, or mission equipment, if applicable.
• Ability to provide housing and ground transportation for international students
• Other related training services not listed above.

4. Requested Vendor Information

Interested sources are requested to provide the following information:

4.1 Company Information

• Company name.
• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), if applicable.
• Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, if applicable.
• Business address.
• Primary point of contact, including name, title, telephone number, and email address.
• Company website.
• Business size and socioeconomic status, if applicable.
• Relevant certifications, approvals, licenses, and authorizations.

4.2 Relevant Experience

Provide a summary of experience delivering training for:

• Cessna 208-series aircraft, including the 208B Caravan EX, if applicable.
• Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, including applicable variants.
• Comparable single-engine turboprop aircraft, if direct C-208 or PC-12 experience is limited.
• Government, military, law-enforcement, commercial, or international customers, as appropriate.

For each relevant effort, provide:

• Customer type or organization, if releasable.
• Period of performance.
• Aircraft platform supported.
• Nature and approximate scale of training provided.
• Types of personnel trained.
• Training locations.
• Use of simulators, training devices, aircraft, or mobile training teams.
• Lessons learned or notable capabilities relevant to this requirement.

4.3 Training Capability

Describe the vendor’s capability to provide:

• Initial and recurrent aircrew training.
• Maintenance training.
• Aircraft systems and emergency-procedure training.
• Instructor-led, simulator-based, computer-based, and blended-learning options.
• Training at contractor facilities, Government locations, and austere or deployed locations.
• Concurrent training for multiple student cohorts.
• Training during standard and nonstandard duty hours, if required.
• Training records management and reporting.

4.4 Facilities, Aircraft, and Training Devices

Identify available training resources, including:

• Training locations and facility capacities.
• C-208 and/or PC-12 aircraft available for training.
• Type, location, configuration, and availability of simulators or training devices.
• Whether training devices are approved, certified, or otherwise recognized by applicable aviation authorities.
• Classroom, maintenance-training, and hands-on practical-training capabilities.
• Availability of mobile or deployable training equipment.

4.5 Instructor and Staff Qualifications

Describe instructor and support-staff qualifications, including:

• Pilot instructor qualifications and flight experience.
• Maintenance instructor qualifications and relevant aircraft experience.
• Evaluator, check airman, standardization, or quality-assurance experience, if applicable.
• Instructor staffing levels and surge capacity.
• Background-screening or credentialing capabilities, if required.
• Experience supporting Government or military aviation training programs.

4.6 Courseware and Curriculum

Describe available courseware and curriculum for C-208 and/or PC-12 training, including:

• Existing courses and course durations.
• Training objectives and instructional methods.
• Ability to tailor curriculum to Government requirements.
• Ability to develop new courseware or update existing material.
• Availability of electronic courseware, learning management systems, and training records.
• Process for maintaining currency with aircraft configuration changes, technical publications, and manufacturer updates.

4.7 Quality, Safety, and Compliance

Describe:

• Training quality-management processes.
• Aviation safety-management practices.
• Instructor standardization and quality-control processes.
• Student evaluation, remediation, and failure-management procedures.
• Relevant Federal Aviation Administration, foreign aviation authority, manufacturer, or industry approvals.
• Any applicable quality certifications or accreditations.
• Compliance with relevant international regulations and standards (e.g., ICAO, ITAR, EAR). Experience in addressing cultural considerations and the specific operation requirements of partner nations under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
• Experience with international students using interpreters and translated courseware.

4.8 Pricing and Contracting Information

For planning purposes only, provide pricing strategy, structure or methodology for:

• Contract Type
• Pricing methodology:
  • Aircrew training rate per-student or instructor hours.
  • Maintenance training rate per-student or instructor hours.
  • Same or different methodology for initial and/or recurrent training.
• Daily or weekly mobile training team.
• Simulator or training-device usage.
• Courseware development or modification costs.
• Travel, lodging, aircraft, equipment, and other potential cost drivers.
• Minimum class sizes, lead times, cancellation terms, and scheduling constraints.

The Government is not requesting a formal quote or binding pricing under this RFI.

5. Specific Questions for Industry

Respondents are requested to address the following questions, as applicable:

1. Which C-208 and/or PC-12 aircraft models, variants, avionics suites, and configurations does your organization currently support for training?
2. What aircrew initial and recurrent training courses are currently available?
3. What maintenance training courses are currently available, and what maintenance specialties do they address?
4. Does your organization own, lease, operate, or have access to C-208 or PC-12 aircraft suitable for flight training? Describe availability and location.
5. What simulators, FTDs, or other training devices are available for each platform?
6. Can your organization provide training at Government-designated locations or through mobile training teams? If so, identify geographic limitations and deployment lead times.
7. What is the maximum number of aircrew and maintenance students that can be trained concurrently?
8. What are typical lead times for scheduling initial and recurrent training?
9. Can your organization tailor training to Government-specific operating procedures, mission equipment, or aircraft modifications? Describe any limitations.
10. What training records, performance metrics, and completion documentation can be provided to the Government?
11. What are the primary cost drivers associated with providing the requested training support?
12. What subcontractors, original equipment manufacturers, or other partners would be required to provide the full range of services?
13. Identify any constraints, risks, dependencies, or Government-furnished information, equipment, facilities, or aircraft that may be required.

6. Response Format and Submission Instructions

Interested parties should submit a capability statement of no more than 12 pages, excluding attachments.

Responses should include the following sections:

1. Company Information
2. Relevant Experience
3. C-208 Training Capability
4. PC-12 Training Capability
5. Aircrew Training Capability
6. Maintenance Training Capability
7. Facilities, Aircraft, Simulators, and Training Devices
8. Instructor Qualifications and Staffing Capacity
9. Courseware and Curriculum Capability
10. Rough-Order-of-Magnitude Pricing Information
11. Constraints, Assumptions, Risks, and Recommended Acquisition Approach

Submit responses and the Capability Matrix attachment electronically in Adobe PDF or MS Word format to the Points of Contact:

Subject Line: “RFI Response – C-208 and PC-12 Aircraft Training Support”

Primary POC: Ernesto Lopez, 338 ESS/PKBB, Contracting Specialist, Email: ernesto.lopez.7@us.af.mil

Alternate POC: Lisa Hartman, 338 ESS/PKBB, Contracting Officer, Email: lisa.hartman@us.af.mil

All questions regarding this posting must be submitted via email as soon as possible, but no later than 1:00 PM Central Time (CT) on 9 Oct 2026. RFI responses are due no later than 28 Oct 26, 1:00 PM CT.

7. Government Disclaimer

This RFI is issued solely for market-research and planning purposes in accordance with applicable acquisition regulations and policy. It does not constitute a solicitation, request for proposal, request for quote, commitment, or promise to award a contract.

The Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs associated with preparing or submitting a response to this RFI. Participation is voluntary. Any information received may be used by the Government to inform acquisition planning, requirement development, and market-research documentation.

The Government may contact respondents to clarify information provided in their responses. Any future solicitation, if issued, will be announced separately through the appropriate Government contracting channel.

8. Submission Timelines and Key Dates:

To support effective market research and ensure timely communication, the following milestones apply to this RFI. All submissions and inquiries must be received no later than 1:00 PM Central Time (CT) on the specified dates:

• Industry Questions for AFSAT NLT: 9 Oct 2026
  • Vendors may submit questions regarding the RFI content or scope. All inquiries must be sent via email to the listed points of contact.
• AFSAT Response to Questions NLT: 16 Oct 2026
  • The Government will provide consolidated responses to all questions received. Answers will be distributed via email or posted to SAM.gov, as appropriate.
• Capability Statements with Capability Matrix Attachment 1: 28 Oct 2026
  • Interested parties must submit their capability statements electronically by this date. Late submissions may not be considered.

9. Attachment: “Attch 1 Capability Matrix”