Kachemak Bay Flying Service (KBFS), wholly owned subsidiary of S3, joined forces with the Phantom Corps Chapter of the Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) to welcome General Aviation flyers to a Veterans Weekend Fly-in on November 12, 2016 at the Draughon-Miller Regional Airport in Temple, Texas. The event was planned in honor of our nation’s veterans and welcomed aviation enthusiasts from all over Texas to participate in a number of events for veterans and their families and friends. Included in the events was a Military Aircraft display that included the AH-64D Apache and CH-47F helicopters provided by the Dutch 302nd Aviation Squadron and the Mi-24 Hind D Russian Helicopter provided by the Cold War Museum near Dallas, TX.
Kachemak Bay sponsored displays and demonstrations of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) and other General Aviation radios and avionics equipment. The FAA requires all military and civilian aircraft operating in controlled national airspace to be equipped with the new ADS-B by 2020.
Other events included a Texas barbecue and other lunch items, a free Discovery Flight drawing, discounts on fixed wing flight training, and discounts on fuel for participating aircraft owners. The event had 22 aircraft fly in from other locations in Texas and drew more than 250 other aviation enthusiasts who arrived by ground transportation. S3 acknowledges and appreciates the support of the 302nd Aviation Squadron, the Cold War Museum, and especially the Phantom Chapter of AAAA who helped sponsor the event. Kachemak Bay Flying Service is FAA certified to provide Part 135 charter transport; Part 141 fixed and rotary wing flight training; and Part 145 Avionics installation and repair. Additionally, KBFS offers military contract training and support from its operations in Temple, TX and Crestview, FL.
On November 23, 2016, the United States Air Force (USAF) announced an award of its Contract Field Teams (CFT) contract to Global Logistics Support Services (GLSS), wholly owned subsidiary of S3. With a total contract ceiling value of $11.4 billion, CFT is the premier USAF contract for delivering tailored, on-site Organizational, Intermediate/Field, and Depot/Sustainment level maintenance support at customer locations worldwide. GLSS will compete with nine other small business primes for task orders to modify, maintain, inspect, and repair aircraft, aerospace equipment, missile systems, associated subsystems, vehicles, and ground support equipment. The CFT award facilitates GLSS operations to offer comprehensive aircraft and weapon systems maintenance services not only to the USAF, but also to customers throughout the Department of Defense and to other Federal agencies.
The Department of Air Force Air Education and Training Command (AETC) announced award of an Air Advisor training contract to System Studies and Simulation (S3) during the final week of September 2016. S3, having supported AETC several years with tactical helicopter pilot training, fixed wing pilot and mission system operator training, will now provide academics, simulator, and aircraft flight training in four different Mission Design Series (MDS): the PC-12NG (New Generation); the Cessna 208 Caravan; the MD530F Scout/Attack Helicopter; and the Mi-17 Utility Helicopter.
Training commences in October 2016 and will be accomplished at Team S3 facilities in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, and Texas. Team S3 includes wholly-owned subsidiary Kachemak Bay Flying Service and Concord XXI USA.
Lancaster, TX – S3 and subcontractor VTS Aviation developed and recently presented the Mi-24 Combat Adversary Aviator Course to USAF Weapons School student pilots. The pilots participated in challenging immersion training that featured the capabilities, functions, and tactical employment of the Russian Mi24D “Hind” Helicopter. This was the first time since 2005 that USAFWS students have flown the Hind helicopter and the first RW Adversary Support to Nellis since 2009.
Former Weapons School Instructor/Hind Pilot John Totty of S3 and Hind Pilot Steve Davidson of VTS provided students with an aggressive flight training profile demonstrating the aircraft’s unique flight performance, including its handling characteristics, speed/bank limits, visual ranging rules, hover/load capabilities, and weapons system employment. John Totty is the General Manager of S3’s wholly owned subsidiary, Kachemak Bay Flying Service (KBFS), offering flight training and operational aviation support to the USAF, USA, and other Federal agencies, as well as to commercial customers in Temple, TX and Crestview, FL.
The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to provide advanced training in weapons and tactics employment to officers of the combat air forces through graduate-level instructor courses. Similar to the US Navy’s “Top Gun” school, the USAF Weapons School is the Service’s most demanding flight training and tactics course, graduating the most capable combat aviators in the world.
Published by: System Studies & Simulation, Inc. (S3)
S3 was selected as a prime contractor and awarded a SeaPort Enhanced (SeaPort-e) Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract on June 30, 2016. This SeaPort-e award provides S3 and our Team Member Companies the opportunity to bid on all future SeaPort-e unrestricted task orders supporting United States Navy requirements in twenty-two (22) functional service areas and all seven (7) SeaPort-e geographic zones. Individual task orders may have a total period of performance up to five years. SeaPort-e is a new IDIQ prime contract award for S3 and provides the Huntsville based company and its teammates the opportunity to compete worldwide for future Navy, United States Marine Corp and other Department of Defense full and open task orders.
Airbus Helicopters, Inc. recently recognized S3 with its 10,000 Hours Lakota Unit Flight Safety Award. In presenting these awards, Airbus encourages excellence from the men and women who fly and support its broad range of rotary-wing aircraft, which are operated throughout the United States and across all market areas.
S3’s President (Retired LTG Jim Barclay) is shown at right in the picture accepting the award from Vice President of Airbus Helicopters John Burke.
Airbus tailors the safety awards to the candidates’ field of expertise, experience, and specific achievements with tiered levels of excellence to commemorate professional milestones with Airbus Helicopters.
Airbus developed the Lakota Unit Flight Safety Award, which is based on hours safely flown in the Lakota, to recognize an organization’s accident-free flight operations. Airbus presented S3 with a trophy for 10,000 accident-free flight hours. The Airbus trophy goes to the entire S3 organization, including managers, pilots, crew chiefs, maintainers, flight operations, technical inspectors, and other administrative and logistics personnel.
The Boeing Company recently presented Original Equipment Manufacturer Certificates of Achievement to five S3 Flight Instructors for their individual accomplishments in safely logging between 2000 and 7000 flight hours in Boeing’s CH-47 helicopter. In reaching these individual milestones, each of the Flight Instructors demonstrated outstanding proficiency and superior knowledge in operating one of the world’s most capable cargo helicopters. The S3 aviators distinguished themselves while supporting the Army’s CH-47 Project Management Office with aerial flight support and flight instruction. Aviators receiving recognition included George Hall, Fred Hedgecock, James “Andy” Mankie, Beth McCune, and Jonathan Nichols.
Published by: System Studies & Simulation, Inc. (S3)
S3 was selected as a prime contractor and awarded an AMCOM EXPRESS (AE) Blanket Purchase Award (BPA) in the Programmatic (AE-P) domain on March 28, 2016. This AE-P BPA award provides S3 and our 69 AE-P teammates the opportunity to bid on all future AE-P (Full and Open) task orders. Individual task orders may have a total period of performance up to five years. This new S3 full and open AE-P prime award complements our existing AMCOM EXPRESS Technical (AE-T) small business prime BPA, providing S3 and our many teammates the opportunity to bid on future task orders in each domain.
Published by: System Studies & Simulation, Inc. (S3)
S3 recently made a generous donation to help restore the Rocket Center’s “Spy Plane.” Jan Smith, CEO of S3, Inc., presented a check for $230,000 to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Foundation on March 16, 2016. Ms. Smith presented the check in the Apollo Courtyard of the Davidson Center for Space Exploration. The Foundation reported that the donation will be used to help restore the Center’s A-12 Oxcart and fund the new exhibit at the Rocket Center. The CIA used the A-12 Oxcart during the Cold War to conduct reconnaissance efforts.
Goodwin Mills Caewood is preparing the architectural and engineering design for the Oxcart exhibit presentation on the Rocket Center’s museum grounds. The Lockheed A-12 will be mounted in a flight position. The exhibit will accentuate the already impressive visual that travelers see upon entry into Huntsville. Project ground-breaking activities are scheduled for June 2016, with completion anticipated this fall.
Published by: System Studies & Simulation, Inc. (S3)