While FLYHT owns the WVSS-II technology going forward, there have been a number of units installed over the past 20 years under previous ownership that are collecting high quality weather data as you read this. Based on this page at the Collins site and mentions at the WMO site, it appears that Collins Aerospace presently holds the information service provider contract for maintaining these installs, collecting the data and delivering it to NOAA for dissemination.
https://www.collinsaerospace.com/what-we-do/industries/commercial-aviation/government/aircraft-based-observation-program To get a sense of when this contract might be up for bid again, I looked for earlier ones. Information can be found in WMO ABO newsletters to support a pattern of roughly every three years with an award made by September in that year.
For example, in or for September of 2014, there was a three-year contract award. From an NWS (National Weather Service) slide show... “
3-year NOAA contract awarded to Rockwell Collins in September 2014 for provision of new sources of meteorological observations from commercial aircraft.”
https://www.weather.gov/media/grr/GLOM2015/Presentations/2_Brusky-Amdar3.pdf I have been able to find numerous confirmations that Collins was the information service provider during the years 2017 through 2020. I suspect that COVID may have caused a one-year uncontested renewal with its greatly reduced ABOs. Air traffic was so reduced that FLYHT wasn’t even charging for data for part of this time. No one knew how long the pandemic would go on for so it would have been very difficult for NOAA to create an RFP with meaningful terms.
In 2021, a contract offering was forecast in the WMO Aircraft-based Observations Newsletter - Volume 21, April 2021: “
The USA will soon seek to renew contracting arrangements with data service providers for continued procurement of AMDAR and WVSS from USA-based airlines...”
This was confirmed In the November 2021 newsletter: “
The USA has renewed its contracting arrangements for continued procurement of AMDAR and WVSS from USA-based airlines.” Collins Aerospace again. (In the Nov. 2022 WMO newsletter, “
...under an arrangement with information service provider, Collins Aerospace”.)
For future reference, all of the WMO ABO newsletters can be found and read here...
https://community.wmo.int/en/activity-areas/aircraft-based-observations/newsletter. Each contains pages full of details about the different weather data types and methods of data collection (including both TAMDAR-over-AFIRS and the WVSS-II), the number of soundings by type and location, the number of aircraft involved and where they fly, and the impact that collecting the data makes.
The 2021 contract, if for three years, would have begun in September 2021 and would be concluding in August of this year.
In a search for recent information on the WVSS-II sensor, I came across information about what appears to be the upcoming contract renewal opportunity at the U.S. government website that provides information on procurement contracts.
A recent “Sources Sought” notice and a draft "Statement of Work" updated January 25, 2024 can be found here.
https://sam.gov/opp/fd029d92edd04c1f9d151ed70dc3e371/view. Notice ID ACQ-AONCA0110-24-0029. Scroll down when there to locate the PDF download links, to open and read.
The Sources Sought seems to describe what Collins Aerospace is presently doing so NOAA, the Acquisition Grants Office (AGO) and the Eastern Acquisition Division (EAD) can conduct “
market research for the purpose of assessing the current and near future marketplace and potential vendors capable of providing (the same) observations of wind, temperature, and humidity Meteorological Data and Reporting System (MDCRS) and Water Vapor Sensor System (WVSS) data”.
“
Information provided in response to this Sources Sought will be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for determining how to proceed in the acquisition process for the Meteorological Data and Reporting System (MDCRS) and Water Vapor Sensor System (WVSS) data. This Sources Sought Notice is a request for interested parties to describe their technical capabilities and demonstrated tools, processes, and service capabilities. A response to this Sources Sought Notice is necessary in order to assist NWS in determining the potential levels of interest, adequacy of competition, and market maturity and technical capabilities within the business community to provide the required capabilities.”
“
The Government anticipates awarding a single award, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a Not to Exceed Ceiling and Firm Fixed Price unit-level provisions based on a best value basis. The period of performance of this procurement will be from September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2029.” This aligns with the contract continuity starting point. The five-year length is new.
The related draft Statement of Work dated January 25, 2024 for NWS to collect ABOs (Aircraft Based Observations) includes this text as part of the scope and mission: “
Observations of water vapor from some aircraft operated by US airlines are taken with an onboard sensor, the Water Vapor Sensing System II (WVSS-II) developed and installed by industry in partnership with the NWS in the early 2000s. These sensors were installed on 107 Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft and 25 UPS aircraft. These water vapor observations are communicated in real time from these 132 aircraft along with wind and temperature observations. The scope of this SOW is to continue procurement of wind and temperature observational data from both the MDCRS and ADS-C sources of aircraft-based observations, and humidity from those aircraft equipped with WVSS.”
It is my opinion and belief that FLYHT is capable of competing with Collins for this business and that Collins and FLYHT may be the only two companies in a position to win this upcoming five-year contract.
“Sources Sought”:
“The anticipated associated NAICS code is 518210 – Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services and the corresponding size standard is $40 Million.” sba.gov (U.S. Small Business Administration): “
The U.S. government is the world’s largest customer. It buys all types of products and services, and is required by law to provide opportunities for small businesses.” This may give FLYHT a slight edge in a competition with Collins Aerospace.
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In a
KRC report dated May 12, 2022, there is this comment about potential business for the WVSS-II: “
No revenues are attached to the (WVSS-II) acquisition – however, a potential order (for 30 units) from the UK’s Met Office and (the) transition away from Rockwell Collins as the service provider for the existing installs will positively impact FLYHT revenues starting in 2022.”
If not already begun, the time for this “
transition away from Rockwell Collins” (i.e. Collins Aerospace) may have come.
In this context, that a transition away from Collins will positively impact FLYHT revenues, it would appear that FLYHT intends to compete for the position of information service provider. Being the provider for new WVSS-II hardware should bolster any software services bid.
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