Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fla. Those plans fell through, but the plane may still find its way to a museum. [18] The settlement agreement specified that the contract to be awarded to Neptune would be the same duration as the NextGen contract awards (i.e., a 5-year base period with five 1-year options). [28] See AR, Tab 49, Neptune J&A, Dec. 9, 2013, at 1-6. The NRE Undersecretary emphasized the importance of large airtankers for wildland firefighting and the Forest Services need for additional airtankers, particularly with regard to the 2014 fire season. 18, 2014, at 5. AR, Tab63, Neptune Email to Contracting Officer, June 26, 2013. 3304(e); FAR 6.302-3(c), 6.303, 6.304; Sabreliner Corp., B-288030, B-288030.2, Sept. 13, 2001, 2001 CPD 170 at5. See also Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-3. [14] Neptune had also previously made an advance payment request of $424,750 under its Legacy contract for cash-flow reasons (i.e., the lack of revenue in advance of the fire season). . at658), the agency acknowledges that the 9-year, sole-source contract awarded to Neptune was based on the industrial mobilization exception to CICA. Specifically, the agency contends that Coulson and Minden did not have additional large airtankers available at the time the J&A was signed that would be capable of performing the requirements of the Neptune sole-source contract (which has an April 28, 2014, start date). At no time before the J&A was approved were FIs conclusions disputed or shown to be in error. 1 The average fleet age is based on our own calculations and may differ from other figures. 31, 1992, 92-2 CPD 29 at 3-4. at 451-52. at 67.[4]. AR, Tab 49, J&A, Dec.9, 2013, at 1. at 32. [8] Neptunes fuel costs were not included in the 2013 Legacy contract rates, as fuel was again to be government-provided or separately reimbursed. [1] Our decision in Coulson Aviation (USA) Inc.; 10 Tanker Air Carrier, LLC--Costs, B406920.6, B-406920.7, Aug. 22, 2013, 2013 CPD 197, provides additional details concerning the history of this procurement. . 16, 2013. For the next three months the Forest Service tried to reach an alternative settlement agreement with Neptune. In sum, the J&A and its supporting documents, as well as the agencys submissions in response to these protests and the testimony of the agency representatives at the hearing held by our Office, demonstrate that the sole-source award to Neptune was promised in exchange for Neptunes withdrawal of an earlier protest, and that there was not a reasonable basis for the agencys action. Based upon on our review of the record, including the J&A, its supporting documentation, the agencys submissions in response to these protests, and the testimony of the agencys representatives at the hearing held at our Office, the agency has failed to demonstrate that Neptune requires a sole-source contract to remain a source of large airtanker services for the Forest Service. After taking on a new retardant load, it took off at 1:50 pm for the second mission. The industrial mobilization exception to competition requirements may be used where an agency determines that it is necessary to award the contract to a particular source . The oldest executive at OTC Markets Group, Inc. is AndrewWimpfheimer, 63, who is the Director. Tr. After receiving the offerors responses, the TEB prepared an evaluation report that included the evaluators final consensus evaluation and analysis of the offerors evaluated prices. Coulson Aviation Australia | 3,766 followers on LinkedIn. The CLINs, each of which had a 5year base period and five 1-year options, contained sub-CLINs providing the Forest Service with the option to add up to 2 additional airtankers in the second contract year and 2 more airtankers in the third through tenth contract years, for a possible total of 5 aircraft and 44 aircraft-years per line item. Neptune, however, rejected all offers that differed materially from the terms of the parties settlement agreement. [23] The ASA is USDAs Chief Acquisition Officer, and the SPE reports to the ASA. Servs., Inc., B-237742, Mar. AR, Tab54, Neptune Contract No. A Forest Service technical evaluation board (TEB) evaluated offerors proposals. On December 2, the SPE provided the ASA with a detailed memorandum and documents in support of her recommendation that he not approve the J&A. AR, Tab66, USDA Email to GAO, Sept. 6, 2012. On 6 February 2023, at 12:08 pm, the aircraft involved took off from the Busselton Margaret River Airport on the first of three missions that day to respond to a fire near Hopetoun. Here, the Forest Services description in its J&A of its noncompetitive requirements, as well as its consideration of alternative sources of supply, is inaccurate. In this regard, the agency maintains that it cannot tolerate any further delay in acquiring additional NextGen airtankers for the 2014 fire season. Tr. The record shows, however, that the contract subsequently awarded to Neptune included the option of five additional large airtankers, for up to 9 years each, at a total estimated value of approximately $496 million--more than three times greater than what was approved. Agency Report (AR), Tab 143, Forest Service Large Airtanker Modernization Strategy, Feb. 10, 2012, at2. Winglets installed 2008. DOCUMENT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE . In this case, we have a competitive field and recently awarded multiple contracts on a competitive basis to five firms from a pool of eight firms that submitted proposals on the solicitation. The FireLiner conversion is scheduled to be completed in May 2021 in time for the next fire season in North America. Our fleet currently features custom designed Hercules C-130s, Sikorsky S-61 helicopters, Boeing Chinook CH-47 helitankers, Sikorsky Black Hawk UH-60 helitankers, and our custom-converted Boeing 737 FireLiner fleet equipped with our proprietary RADS-XXL technology. The SPE also engaged FI Consulting, an external auditing firm, to perform an independent financial viability analysis of Neptune. AG-024B-C-14-9000, at B-1. They take very good care of their people. at 441, 451; AR, Tab24, SPE Email to AQM Requesting Additional Neptune Information, July12, 2013, at 1-2. Please refer to the current fleet list to see each aircraft's individual age. AR, Tab 144, RUS Email to USDA, June 3, 2013. Mr. Coulson is responsible for the Companys overall growth and strategic direction and has led the transformation of the company into an operator of regulated financial markets for U.S. and global companies. He received his BBA from Southern Methodist University in 1989 and holds an OPM from Harvard Business School. [25] The ASA did not find anything wrong with the SPEs rationale, and acknowledged her procurement expertise. Purchasing six Boeing 737-300s from Southwest Airlines back in 2017, Coulsons B737 FireLiner is now operational and has fought fires in Australia and the U.S. with great success. Outdoor Venture Corp., B-405423, Oct. 25, 2011, 2011 CPD 241 at 2; Ridgeline Indus., Inc., B-402105, Jan. 7, 2010, 2010 CPD 22 at 3. At that time, the request for approval of the J&A was elevated to the ASA, a level above the SPE within the agencys hierarchy. The J&A also stated that the agency took into account alternative resources, and found there were no certified large airtankers currently available that were not already under contract with the Forest Service capable of meeting NextGen contract requirements. . . FAR 6.302-3(a)(2)(i). . Coulson Aviation puts employee and Aircraft safety as Job 1. On June 13, the Forest Service made NextGen contract awards as follows: AR, Tab 71, Neptune Protest, May 16, 2013 (B-406920.8), exhib. A stand down may be undertaken when the operator believes there is something which might distract the pilots from safely completing their missions. The second Mars aircraft, Philippine Mars, was repainted in 2015 back to its original dark blue U.S. Navy livery; the plan at that time was for it to fly to its final resting place and be preserved at the U.S. Your email address will not be published. . In a Coulson Aviation media release from Aug. 14, the company said: Since 2009 we have pioneered various intelligence programs focused on creating additional accountability and value for government agencies. [16] The Forest Service believed RUS possessed financial expertise that could be of assistance. Our Office confirmed the withdrawal of Neptunes protest and closed the file without rendering a decision on the protests merits. | Overview Coulson . [t]o maintain a . AR, Tab 67, NextGen RFP, at B-1. N619SW, the aircraft involved in the accident, photographed in 2022, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 737, "Rescue mission launched after firefighting aircraft crashes in WA's Great Southern", "Two pilots survive after 737 large air tanker crashes in Fitzgerald River National Park while battling bushfires", "Plane crashes as firefighters battle blaze in WA's south", "Boeing 737 crash pilots walk away from fiery wreckage as Mark McGowan hails their survival a 'miracle', "Breaking: A Boeing 737-300 Has Crashed Fighting Fires In Australia", "Boeing 737 'firefighter' crashes in Australia", "Another 737 air tanker takes to the skies -", Aviation accidents and incidents in Australia, Australian National Airways Stinson crash, Queensland Airlines Lockheed Lodestar crash, Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Essendon Airport Beechcraft King Air crash, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2023_Coulson_Aviation_crash&oldid=1141270040, Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 737 Classic, Aviation accidents and incidents in Western Australia, Accidents and incidents involving cargo aircraft, Use Australian English from February 2023, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Articles lacking in-text citations from February 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Crashed into terrain, under investigation, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 06:02. [33] In fact, the agency acknowledges that [t]he record demonstrates Neptune did not represent to the Forest Service, that it would immediately go out of business without a NextGen contract. AR, Feb. 19, 2014, at 5 (emphasis in original). As the only aerial firefighting company operating both fixed-wing aircraft and Type 1 helicopters, Coulson Aviation (USA) Inc. is fully equipped to carry out aerial firefighting across the globe. [26] 3304(a)(3), and will comply with all related statutory and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requirements, including, but not limited to, CICA, and FAR 6.303-6.305. & Engg Co., B-403561, Nov. 18, 2010, 2010 CPD 276 at 3; SSI Tech., Inc., B-298212, B-298212.2, July 14, 2006, 2006 CPD 183 at 4. Coulson Aviation Usa doesn't have any recent trademark applications, indicating Coulson Aviation Usa is focusing on its existing business rather than expanding into new products and markets. Protecting Australia from bushfires with our state-of-the-art aerial firefighting fleet, pilots and support staff. Based on all possible aircraft, the total estimated cost of the sole-source contract actually awarded to Neptune is $496,211,590.[30]. See FAR 6.3023(b)(iii) (when the quantity required is substantially larger than the quantity that must be awarded in order to meet the objectives of this authority, that portion not required to meet such objectives will be acquired by providing for full and open competition); Honorable Dan Burton, B-265884, Nov. 7, 1995, 1995 U.S. Comp. Id. AR, Tab 69, TEB Report, Apr. The Forest Service will oppose any . Today, the company's Coulson Aircrane aviation branch still offers helicopter logging but has expanded its ambitious mandate to include power line construction and forest fire suppression. AG-024B-C-14-9000, atB-1. [27] AR, Tab31, FI Email to USDA, Aug. 13, 2013, at 1. 1 The average fleet age is based on our own calculations and may differ from other figures. at 107; AR, Tab 18, Neptune Settlement Agreement, June 6, 2013, exhib. While it was conducting the NextGen large airtanker procurement, the Forest Service also awarded a number of Legacy contracts for large airtanker services. The agency anticipates issuing a similar contract modification for the 2014 fire season. [4] In resolving this protest, GAO conducted a 2-day hearing to receive testimony from various agency officials involved in this procurement. Wildland Fire Management: Improvements Needed in Information, Collaboration, and Planning to Enhance Federal Fire Aviation Program Success, GAO-13-684, Aug. 20, 2013, at 6. This statement is also factually inaccurate insofar as 10 Tanker had a certified large airtanker currently available, which the Forest Service actually contracted for in 2013. Coulson Aviation operates the only aerial firefighting fleet in the world consisting of both fixed-wing and Type 1 rotary-wing aircraft. Aircraft capable of meeting these standards and requirements are not readily available and would take a considerable amount of time to be developed and operationally ready for service. AR, Tab 49, J&A, Dec.9, 2013, at 4. At the end of the first day of the hearing, the GAO hearing official noted that the testimony thus far appeared to support the protesters arguments that the communications between the agency and various offerors were discussions rather than clarifications, as described by FAR 15.306. Accordingly, we recommend that the agency reassess whether a sole-source contract with Neptune--for industrial mobilization reasons or any other reason--is necessary to meet its needs with regard to large airtanker services. 27.4 Years. In my time with Coulson I haven't seen them skimp or cut corners anywhere. Thereafter, the agency decided to take corrective action by reopening the competition. Coulson Aviation plans to modify the fuselage on the CH-47, cut the floor of the aircraft and install a 3,000-gallon tank, called the RADS-L (large). Consequently, the agency argues, the J&A was not grounded on the agencys belief that Neptune would immediately go out of business without a NextGen contract, but was based on its concern with Neptunes continued availability as a large airtanker supplier after 2017 when its Legacy contract expired. The protesters also point to the fact that the only legitimate financial analysis conducted (the analysis by FI) demonstrated that Neptune did not require a sole-source contract to remain viable, as recognized by the agencys SPE, who refused to approve the J&A. Coulson and Minden respond that they are interested parties to protest here because they have a direct economic interest that would be affected by the award of a sole-source contract to Neptune. Executive Candidate Assessment and Development Program. and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted. FAR 6.303-2(b)(3), (5), (8). AR, Jan. 31, 2014, at34-54. Coulson Aviation (USA) Inc.; 10 Tanker Air Carrier, LLC., B-406920 et al., Sept. 7, 2012. Two C550s are awaiting upgrades now at the Coulson Port Alberni, B.C., base, while another is presently being repainted elsewhere in the Coulson crimson and white livery. File: B-409356.2; B-409356.3; B-409356.4; B-409356.5; B-409356.6. As the President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of OTC Markets, the total compensation of R Coulson at OTC Markets is $924,940. The J&A also failed to consider the additional large airtankers that Coulson had offered to make available to the Forest Service. Nevertheless, USDA argues that it did not act improperly because the sole-source award complied with all applicable procurement statutes and regulations. Neptune would undoubtedly prefer the financial security that would accompany a long-term NextGen contract, but this is simply not the standard by which an agency is permitted to make a noncompetitive award for industrial mobilization purposes. Pentagon announces Coulson Aviation is awarded a $53 million CDN contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to equip seven Lockheed Martin C-130 aircraft with firefighting equipment. Determining whether a party is interested involves consideration of a variety of factors, including the nature of the issues raised, the benefit or relief sought by the protester, and the partys status in relation to the procurement. [6] We conducted a hearing there to receive testimony concerning the agencys conduct of the procurement. However, FI also expressed its opinion to the SPE that Neptune remained viable (without a sole-source award) through the end of its Legacy contract (2017). See Tr. . On May 6, the Forest Service announced its intent to make the following awards: AR, Tab 70, NextGen Contract Award Abstract, May 6, 2013. Coulson purchased six Boeing 737-300s from Southwest Airlines back in 2017. Tr. The company has over 160,000. [39] This is significant because where, as here, an agency proposes to award a sole-source contract under the industrial mobilization exception to the general competition requirements, the amount being ordered must meet--not exceed--the objectives of this authority. Servs., Inc., supra. 4890 Cherry Creek Road Port Alberni, B.C. Id. Tr. The record also reflects that the NextGen contracts represent the primary, but not only, means by which the Forest Service plans to meet its modernization strategy goal of 18-28 modern large airtankers. See, e.g., AR, Tab 34, Forest Service Email, Sept. 10, 2013, at 1. T: (250) 724-7600 F: (250) 723-7766. First, the SPE and her staff familiarized themselves with the NextGen procurement and the Forest Services requirements for large airtankers generally. Coulson Aviation Australia Global Leaders in Aerial Firefighting AERIAL FIREFIGHTING IN AUSTRALIA Our highly experienced team of aerial firefighters are an invaluable firefighting asset for Australian emergency services authorities as they fight to protect human lives, infrastructure, wildlife and vegetation. By contrast, the second analysis conducted by FI--which did not simply accept Neptunes projections--found that Neptunes revenue projections were inconsistent with the terms of the Legacy contract, that Neptunes expected costs were lower than the company had itself projected, and that Neptune did not require a NextGen contract to remain viable through the term of the Legacy contract. Service believed RUS possessed financial expertise that could be of assistance anything wrong the. 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