Team M1 Selected for Phase III of Army’s Flight School Next

DENTON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--M1 Support Services (M1) announced today it has been selected to advance to Phase III of the U.S. Army’s Flight School Next competition. The Army seeks a contractor-owned, contractor-operated (COCO) turn-key solution to train Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) student pilots.

“We are proud to have multiple proposals selected to advance to Phase III,” said George Krivo, Chairman and CEO of M1. “This is M1’s top priority. Every day we work to further refine and improve our solution to ensure the Army can produce more proficient Army Aviators in an efficient, effective, and innovative manner.”

M1 supports large scale flight training enterprises at several installations, including Fort Rucker, AL; Sheppard Air Force Base (AFB), TX; Columbus AFB, MS; Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, Ca; NAS North Island, CA; and Naval Station Norfolk, VA. This deep experience in managing large training fleets across the military services makes M1 unique among industry partners.

At Fort Rucker, M1 currently provides organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance for 500+ Army and Air Force AH-64, UH-60, CH-47, UH-72, TH-1 rotary-wing aircraft dispersed across 5 primary airfields, flying up to 400 sorties per day and 240,000 flight hours per year supported by a staff of more than 3,000 maintenance, aircrew, and support personnel operating across three shifts.

Team M1 consists of M1 Support Services (the prime contractor), teamed with Robinson Helicopter Company, General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), Quantum Helicopters, and the University of North Dakota Aerospace Foundation (UNDAF).

GDIT has provided more than 1.8 million simulation training hours at the world’s largest military aviation simulation training facility, Warrior Hall, located just two miles from Cairns Army Airfield at Fort Rucker, Alabama. GDIT will leverage this expertise to deliver cutting-edge learning and simulation solutions to train the next generation of Army Aviators.

Team M1 combines the deep program understanding offered by M1 and GDIT with the best of industry, civil aviation, academia, and senior Army Aviation SMEs to efficiently provide safe, innovative, and high-quality training. The result: more proficient Army Aviators graduating on-time and on-budget.

“It’s the best of both worlds,” said James Cassella, M1’s Chief Growth Officer. “We are ready now to conduct an exceptionally low risk transition while introducing a wide range of impactful innovations to transform Army flight training and deliver more proficient aviators at significantly reduced cost.”

Quantum Helicopters brings to Team M1 more than 32 years of helicopter training experience, offering a full spectrum of FAA helicopter ratings. The company operates and maintains a fleet of Robinson helicopters equipped with modern Garmin avionics and delivers advanced instruction including full-down autorotations, spatial disorientation, high-altitude and confined-area operations, sling load familiarization, and NVG flight.

UNDAF brings 58 years of flight training experience operating one of the largest aviation training enterprises in the US. With a cadre of more than 350 flight instructors and annual flight activity exceeding 200,000 hours UNDAF trains approximately 3,800 students every year. Its aviation program is one of only 34 worldwide accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI), UNDAF delivers curriculum development and instruction grounded in globally recognized standards.

About M1 Support Services, a Cerberus Capital Management Company
M1 Support Services is a mission-first, force-multiplying partner solely dedicated to providing aviation solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense, Allies, and partner nations. Our complete spectrum of services includes flight training and simulation, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), flight operations, logistics, aircraft modifications and upgrades. The only company of scale focused solely on aviation solutions, we execute large, complex programs of National and International significance, supporting the most advanced military aircraft in the world. Learn more at www.M1services.com.