TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Contracts providing for the manufacturing of difficult-to-obtain components for the Air Force’s TF33 engine were awarded to two businesses at Tinker Air Force Base’s first Propulsion Pitch Day held last month.
The two companies, Fairmount Technologies and Parts Life, Inc.,presented proposals for 17 bolts and brackets that are key to the maintenance of the TF33 engine, but have become more difficult to procure as the Air Force’s traditional business partners no longer produce the parts.
“We are very excited about the results of Propulsion Pitch Day and are looking forward to the partnerships with the two companies we selected,” said Col. Benjamin Boehm, director of the Propulsion Directorate. “Both companies we selected are eager to help us address some of the challenges we are having with getting parts for the TF33.”
Not only were the contracts awarded during Pitch Day, Ricale Keith with the Propulsion Directorate said that GPC payment was also made to begin the process of prototyping the parts. By cutting the process down to a single-day event, Boehm said that Tinker’s Propulsion Pitch Day has created the opportunity for the Directorate to think outside of the box in addressing the challenge of providing parts while also expanding Air Force’s industrial base.
“This was a big win for [Propulsion Directorate] and the small businesses,” Boehm said. “We were able to hear proposals and provide feedback on the spot with an award on the same day. The companies noted that it usually takes months to get feedback, let alone contract awards, so they were pleased with the agility this offered. Both companies offer some possibilities for additional parts beyond the scope of our initial Pitch Day.”
While not the Air Force’s first Pitch Day, Tinker’s version of the event was designed to connect the installation with nontraditional and small businesses. For this first Pitch Day, the event featured two companies who presented proposals over how they would manufacture the parts being sought by the Directorate.
The proposals were reviewed by a panel that consisted of Boehm, Propulsion Sustainment Division Chief Charles Darnell, Propulsion Sustainment Division Chief Engineer Loren Lutz, Material Support Contracting Division Chief Tommy Nicholson and Janelle Allen, chief of the Defense Logistics Agency’s Strategic Acquisition Contracting Division.
The TF33 engine was first flown more than 60 years ago and continues to be a vital part of the Air Force’s mission, as more than 1,000 engines continue to power the nation’s fleet of B-52 bombers, E-3 AWACS and other mission-critical aircraft.
For their next Pitch Day, which will be hosted in the fall, Keith said the Directorate is looking to source manufacturing for two to four families of parts. She also said that the hope for the event is to double or triple the amount of companies involved.
“We hope to have more local companies participate and that we outgrow our current footprint,” Keith said. “That would be a win-win for the Air Force and our partners.”