Government Flight Training Contracts
NAICS 611512 · Flight Training
Government flight training contracts totaled $2.9B across 1,312 awards from FY2024 to FY2026. In FY2026, obligations were up 6.7% vs FY2025, and the Department of Defense was the largest buyer, accounting for $2.7B (93% of the total).
Key figures
In FY2026, contract obligations were $1,052,258,932 across 442 awards with activity that year, a change of +6.7% from $986,241,443 in FY2025. From FY2024 to FY2026, obligations totaled $2,882,433,833 across 1,312 awards.
- Obligated in FY2026
- $1.1B
- Awards in FY2026
- 442
- Change vs FY2025
- +6.7%
- Total, FY2024 to FY2026
- $2.9B
Note: FY2026 ended on Sep 30, 2026. The Department of Defense publishes contract data with a 90-day delay, so FY2026 totals may still rise as late reports arrive.
Flight Training contract spending by year
Federal flight training contracts per fiscal year (October to September), under NAICS 611512. The table below lists the same numbers.
| Fiscal year | Obligated | Awards | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $1,052,258,932 | 442 | +6.7% |
| FY2025 | $986,241,443 | 679 | +16.9% |
| FY2024 | $843,933,458 | 730 | n/a |
About government flight training contracts
Federal spending on flight training contracts rose 25% from FY2024 ($844M) to FY2026 ($1.1B). FY2026 closed recently, and Defense Department contracts are reported up to 90 days late, so its total may still rise.
Spending is spread widely: the top 3 contractors account for 28% of the total. No single company dominates, which leaves room for new and small contractors.
The Department of Defense spends the most on flight training contracts (93%), followed by the Department of Transportation. The states with the most of this work are Virginia, Texas and Alabama.
NAICS 611512 (Flight Training) is part of the Educational Services sector.
Top flight training government contractors
Companies ranked by contract dollars under NAICS 611512 (Flight Training).
| # | Contractor | Obligated | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | $336,942,753 | 11.7% |
| 2 | Amentum Services, Inc. | $244,970,357 | 8.5% |
| 3 | Airborne Tactical Advantage Co LLC | $227,381,434 | 7.9% |
| 4 | Top Aces Corp. | $154,316,246 | 5.4% |
| 5 | Tactical Air Support, Inc. | $144,555,634 | 5.0% |
| 6 | Cae USA, Inc. | $119,177,926 | 4.1% |
| 7 | Cae USA Inc. | $118,085,495 | 4.1% |
| 8 | Flightsafety International Inc | $86,159,196 | 3.0% |
| 9 | Aviation Systems Engineering Company Inc | $82,028,453 | 2.8% |
| 10 | KBR Wyle Services, LLC | $81,642,380 | 2.8% |
Agencies buying flight training services
Federal agencies ranked by contract dollars under NAICS 611512.
| # | Agency | Obligated | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Defense | $2,669,786,428 | 92.6% |
| 2 | Department of Transportation | $87,062,761 | 3.0% |
| 3 | General Services Administration | $85,341,521 | 3.0% |
| 4 | Department of Homeland Security | $26,930,504 | 0.9% |
| 5 | Department of Justice | $8,764,825 | 0.3% |
| 6 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $2,274,685 | <0.1% |
| 7 | Department of Commerce | $1,582,501 | <0.1% |
| 8 | Department of Agriculture | $380,829 | <0.1% |
| 9 | Department of Energy | $112,700 | <0.1% |
| 10 | Department of the Interior | $105,871 | <0.1% |
Where flight training contract work is performed
States ranked by contract dollars, using the place of performance on each award.
| # | State | Obligated | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $662,061,683 | 23.0% |
| 2 | Texas | $660,786,263 | 22.9% |
| 3 | Alabama | $388,292,608 | 13.5% |
| 4 | Florida | $197,477,473 | 6.9% |
| 5 | Arizona | $194,529,977 | 6.7% |
| 6 | New Mexico | $108,292,469 | 3.8% |
| 7 | Maryland | $107,859,988 | 3.7% |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $66,337,133 | 2.3% |
| 9 | Kentucky | $62,156,776 | 2.2% |
| 10 | Nevada | $57,460,264 | 2.0% |
Recent flight training contract awards
The latest flight training contracts, newest first. Each award ID links to its record on USAspending.gov.
| Start date | Recipient | Agency and description | Amount | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2026 | Helicopter Express LLC | Department of TransportationS-64 INITIAL AND RECURRENT PILOT QUALIFICATION TRAINING | $542,000 | 6973GH26P02917 |
| Sep 23, 2026 | Aerodata, Inc | Department of JusticeAIRCRAFT WEIGHT & BALANCE/PERFORMANCE SERVICE & SUPPORT | $60,004 | 15M10426PA3700010 |
| Sep 22, 2026 | Flightsafety International Inc | National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationFLIGHT CREW TRAINING IN ACCORDANCE WITH CONTRACT 80AFRC25D0008. | $98,550 | 80LARC26F0005 |
| Sep 22, 2026 | Flightsafety International Inc | Department of CommerceTHIS TASK ORDER ESTABLISHES THE REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE MANDATORY ANNUAL FLIGHT TRAINING FOR THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA) OFFICE OF MARINE AND AVIATION OPERATIONS (OMAO), | $1,000,000 | 1305M226F0477 |
| Sep 17, 2026 | Flightsafety International Inc | National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationFLIGHT CREW TRAINING IN ACCORDANCE WITH CONTRACT 80AFRC25D0008. | $4,500 | 80LARC26F0004 |
| Sep 16, 2026 | Bell Murray Aerospace, Inc. | Department of TransportationFUND BOEING 777 AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS TRAINING FAA28338 / NOVEMBER 2026 / 6973GH-26-D-00044 BASE OPTION YEAR / SO# 203540 / NOVEMBER 2-6, 2026 | $72,000 | 6973GH26F01436 |
| Sep 10, 2026 | Berry Aviation, Inc. | Department of TransportationEMBRAER EMB-120 INITIAL PILOT QUALIFICATION TRAINING COURSE 28016 | $136,622 | 6973GH26F01399 |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Aviation Performance Solutions, LLC | Department of Homeland SecurityINTEGRATED UPSET RECOVERY AND PREVENTION TRAINING, AIRSTA SACRAMENTO | $30,187 | 70Z03126PALAM0105 |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Air Zermatt Ag | Department of JusticeADVANCED MOUNTAIN FLYING PILOT TRAINING | $48,000 | 15F06726F0001430 |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Erickson Inc | Department of TransportationOY4 HELICOPTER/ROTORCRAFT SIKORSKY SK-64 SIMULATOR RENTAL FOR QUARTERLY EBC TRAINING | $17,184 | 6973GH26F01200 |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Flightsafety International Inc | Department of Transportation6973GH-22-00072 YEAR 4 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE 9/1/2026 - 8/31/2027 FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL INC. REQUEST FOR DELIVERY/TASK ORDER FOR BEECHCRAFT C90GTI INITIAL PILOT TRAINING THE DATES FOR THE FOLLOWI | $18,430 | 6973GH26F01330 |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Flightsafety International Inc | Department of JusticeTRAINING | $443,990 | 15F06726F0001314 |
| Aug 21, 2026 | Cobalt Air, LLC | Department of Justice(2) PILOT INITIALS | $63,905 | 15F06726F0001301 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Helistream Inc. | Department of Homeland SecurityLIGHT ENFORCEMENT HELICOPTER AIRCRAFT PILOT TRAINING | $2,650,925 | 70B02C26F00000692 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Flightsafety International Inc | Department of Homeland SecurityROTARY AND FIXED WING AIRCRAFT PILOT TRAINING SERVICES | $4,689,480 | 70B02C26F00000526 |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Flightsafety International Inc | Department of Transportation(FAA28535) BELL AUGUSTA AW139 HELICOPTER INITIAL PILOT QUALIFICATION | $60,580 | 6973GH26F01273 |
| Aug 13, 2026 | Priority 1 Air Rescue Operations (Arizona), LP | Department of Homeland SecurityTHIS IS A TASK ORDER OFF IDIQ 70Z02324D71100002. | $159,600 | 70Z02326F71100015 |
| Aug 13, 2026 | Bell Textron Inc | Department of JusticeAVIATION TRAINING | $95,450 | 15F06726F0001262 |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Flightsafety International Inc | National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationTHE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE TRAINING IN ACCORDANCE WITH CONTRACT 80AFRC25D0008 AND AS IDENTIFIED ON THE CONTINUATION PAGE FOR JOHNSON SPACE CENTER (JSC). | $228,454 | 80JSC026F0070 |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Flightsafety International Inc | Department of TransportationCESSNA CITATION LONGITUDE CE-700 INITIAL PILOT QUALIFICATION TRAINING COURSE #21800062 | $64,690 | 6973GH26F01229 |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Semper Fly Helicopters LLC | Department of JusticeCFI-I TRAINING & ENDORSEMENT BPA | $156,578 | 15F06726F0000974 |
| Aug 6, 2026 | Priority 1 Air Rescue Operations (Arizona), LP | Department of Homeland SecurityHELICOPTER HOIST OPERATOR TRAINING | $79,800 | 70Z02326F71100013 |
| Aug 4, 2026 | National Test Pilot School Inc | Department of TransportationROTORCRAFT STABILITY AND CONTROL (14 CFR 27 & 29) COURSE 21800137 | $63,250 | 6973GH26F01207 |
| Aug 4, 2026 | National Test Pilot School Inc | Department of TransportationPERFORMANCE (14 CFR 25) COURSE #21800133 | $74,500 | 6973GH26F01206 |
| Aug 3, 2026 | Cae Simuflite, Inc | Department of TransportationOY4 SIMULATOR RENTAL FOR QUARTERLY EVENTS BASED CURRENCY FLIGHT TRAINING | $73,908 | 6973GH26F01201 |
Open flight training government bids
The newest open notices from SAM.gov. Bidding needs a free SAM.gov registration.
Dept of Defense · Sources Sought · NAICS 611512
Posted Oct 30, 2026 · Responses due Nov 17, 2026
Transportation, Department of · Solicitation · NAICS 611512
Posted Oct 29, 2026 · Responses due Nov 27, 2026
Transportation, Department of · Sources Sought · NAICS 611512
Posted Oct 29, 2026 · Responses due Nov 13, 2027
How to win government flight training contracts
Federal flight training contracts are posted on SAM.gov under NAICS 611512. Register your business free on SAM.gov with this code, watch for flight training bids, and look for small business set-asides: many flight training contracts for small business are reserved for small firms.
Explore government flight training contracts by state, agency and contractor
- Department of Defense contracts
- Department of Transportation contracts
- General Services Administration contracts
- Department of Homeland Security contracts
- Department of Justice contracts
- Government contracts in Virginia
- Government contracts in Texas
- Government contracts in Alabama
- Government contracts in Florida
- Government contracts in Arizona
- Lockheed Martin government contracts
Frequently asked questions
- What NAICS code is used for government flight training contracts?
- Federal flight training contracts use NAICS 611512 (Flight Training). List this code in your free SAM.gov registration to be found for these contracts.
- Who are the largest flight training government contractors?
- By contract dollars under NAICS 611512 from FY2024 to FY2026, the largest were Lockheed Martin Corporation ($337M), Amentum Services, Inc. ($245M) and Airborne Tactical Advantage Co LLC ($227M).
- Which agencies buy the most flight training?
- From FY2024 to FY2026, the biggest buyers were the Department of Defense ($2.7B), the Department of Transportation ($87.1M) and the General Services Administration ($85.3M).
- Where are government flight training contracts performed?
- By contract dollars, the most federal flight training work is performed in Virginia ($662M), Texas ($661M) and Alabama ($388M).
- Is federal spending on flight training contracts growing?
- Federal flight training contract obligations rose 25% from FY2024 ($844M) to FY2026 ($1.1B). FY2026 closed recently, and Defense Department contracts are reported up to 90 days late, so its total may still rise.
- Do I qualify as a small business for flight training contracts?
- It depends on the SBA size standard for NAICS 611512, which is set either by average annual revenue or by number of employees. Check the current table of size standards on sba.gov before you bid on small business set-asides.
- What do I need to bid on government flight training contracts?
- An active SAM.gov registration (free) with NAICS 611512 listed, the licenses and insurance your state requires for flight training work, and examples of similar past work. Some solicitations also ask for specific certifications or security clearances.