Every year before the busy wildfire season in California, DynCorp International team members help prepare California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) aircraft to help contain the fires to conserve property, lives and the environment. Fire season typically takes place between April through November, so airplanes undergo annual inspections, repairs and routine maintenance in the winter months. However, in recent years, the California fire season has gotten longer due to dry conditions in the region, making CAL FIRE’s mission all the more vital. Read more →

As part of its ongoing commitment to aviation maintenance training, DynCorp International has earned the 2015 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Diamond Award for Excellence for three of its programs.

U.S. Air Force at Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington Program

For the 12th year, the DI team at Joint-Base Andrews has earned this prestigious award. Through this program, DI provides services for the Very Important Person Special Air Mission (VIPSAM) including aircraft maintenance, transient alert, munitions, base supply and fuels in support of aircraft assigned to the 11th Wing and 89th Airlift Wing.

“We are incredibly proud that our team’s commitment to creating a culture of safety is being recognized for the 12th time with an FAA Diamond Award,” commented Len Campbell, senior program director, Andrews Support Division. Read more →

DynCorp International was awarded a contract extension to continue supporting the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) aviation program. DI helps CAL FIRE suppress and control wildfires.

“Our aviation fleet is a critical component to our ability to contain wildfires in California,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE director. “The partnership between CAL FIRE and DI allows us to meet our mission and keep the residents of California safe.”

“The true heroes are the firefighters that work on the ground to stop these wildfires, and we are honored to work alongside them. DI has supported CAL FIRE since 2001, and our team members take great pride in being able to augment the efforts that save lives, property, and natural resources throughout the state of California,” said James Myles, DynAviation senior vice president, DynCorp International. “Our partnership with the CAL FIRE team has helped DI become a true leader in aerial firefighting.”

As part of this contract, DI maintains CAL FIRE’s UH-1H helicopters, used to transport fire fighters and equipment. DI team members also pilot and maintain CAL FIRE’s modified S-2T air tankers and OV-10A aircraft. Aircraft maintenance services include repair, overhaul, modification, and manufacturing of airframes, engines, propellers, helicopter rotating components, and various aircraft parts and components. The contract has a one-year period of performance with a total value of $27.8 million.

The next class of NASA astronauts prepares to complete their certification with the help of a team of schedulers who track their progress, schedule their training and help them achieve readiness for assignment. Beginning October 2014, the astronaut schedulers, with a combined 32 years of experience in the astronaut office, joined DynCorp International (DI) as a result of the company’s expanded role in supporting NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the astronaut corps. In addition to the aircraft maintenance, operations and logistics services already provided at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas, DI was selected by NASA to assume responsibility for scheduling astronaut training and administrating public appearance requests for the corps.

Under the current contract, DI has been working directly with NASA’s astronaut crews for two-and-a-half years through maintenance, safety assurance and operations services on the astronauts’ T-38 training aircraft. Depending on their role within the astronaut corps, each astronaut must obtain a specific number of flight hours in the T-38 aircraft every year to maintain flight certification. Now with the addition of the Astronaut Scheduling Office and the Astronaut Appearance Office (AAO) personnel, DI has a more significant role in supporting the astronaut corps from scheduling their preparation and training, to sharing their experiences with the public upon their return from space. Read more →

DynCorp International recently announced that it will be providing aircraft maintenance and logistics support for aircraft assigned to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center in Fallon, Nev. as part of a task order on a contract valued at up to $93.3 million.

“This contract award continues to significantly expand our work with the Navy, building on another recent contract award to support T-34, T-44 and T-6 aircraft,” said James Myles, DynAviation senior vice president, DynCorp International. “Our DynAviation team is honored to have the opportunity to serve the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center and continue to develop a strong relationship with this customer.” Read more →

To showcase the unique NASA Super Guppy Transport (SGT) aircraft, maintained by DynCorp International mechanics, the Discovery Channel Canada followed the Super Guppy on a recent cross-country mission from El Paso, Texas, to Long Beach, Calif., to load valuable and futuristic aerospace hardware for final delivery to NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. The mission will be featured on an episode of “Mighty Planes” to be aired in late 2015.

As part of DynCorp International’s NASA Aircraft Maintenance and Operational Support (AMOS) contract, DI team members based with the SGT in El Paso, Texas, maintain the uniquely shaped cargo aircraft. The Super Guppy is based in the dry desert climate to help prevent corrosion and decay of vital aircraft parts. DI’s part of the Super Guppy team includes the maintenance manager, four dedicated mechanics, numerous additional mechanics with extensive experience on the aircraft, an aircraft specialist and a flight engineer. Many of these employees discussed on camera how they each play a part in keeping the specialized aircraft in flight and mission ready. Read more →

During the month of October, DynCorp International’s Multi Sensor Aerial Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (MAISR) Maintenance and Logistics team provided unprecedented support, allowing the Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft to fly more than 1,640 hours combined. The combined flying time, as well as combined Operational Readiness Rates, exceeded contract requirements.

“I am consistently impressed with the operational tempo of this program and the commitment of the men and women who support this mission and customer,” said Franklin Paul, DynCorp International (DI) program manager. “Throughout my aviation career I have never seen aircraft fly the hours they do on this program. These aircraft fly almost non-stop, 16 – 20 hours per day and 25 – 27 days per month. That equates to 410 flight hours per month, per aircraft. The only time each aircraft is not in the air is for scheduled phase maintenance, unscheduled maintenance problems, or to refuel. It’s a true testimony to the DI team’s hard work and teamwork to meet and exceed these tasks.” Read more →