An AFWERX Refinery logistician at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, has found a project that could save the DoD money and could be used by Air Force cargo aircraft around the world.

As the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force and powered by the Air Force Research Laboratory AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF.

Jay Breyer, AFWERX Refinery Logistician at Robins AFB, said the AFWERX Refinery is an “Innovation Accelerator,” which provides Airman and Guardian innovators with entrepreneurial knowledge and connections to relevant stakeholders and resources within the Department of Defense ecosystem.

“Innovators and project teams are competitively selected to participate in a 6-week cohort, based on team needs, to focus on development and refinement of their grassroots project prototypes,” he said. “The Refinery exists to build world-class innovators and accelerate their tactical prototypes to ensure the right operational capabilities are adopted into the larger force.

“This is made possible through the AFWERX Refinery’s curated lean startup informed curriculum, strategic partnerships, and expertise of the ecosystem’s policy, acquisitions, and life-cycle sustainment.”

One such innovator who is taking advantage of the program hails from Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and developed an idea he hopes will assist with loading Aerospace Ground Equipment onto aircraft.

Tech. Sgt. Jamie Hubbard, the 55th Wing Programs and Resources Flight chief at Offutt AFB, developed a reusable composite material aircraft support ramp. It will allow equipment with low ground clearance to be loaded onto U.S. Air Force cargo aircraft.

Hubbard worked with the National Airborne Operations Center as an AGE support specialist. NAOC requires AGE to deploy to locations with specialized equipment.

“The NAOC has the only program in the Air Force which allows AGE troops to fly with the aircraft and be more hands on,” he said. “It was this program I owe the initial conceptual idea for the ramp to take form.”

As Hubbard supported the NOAC mission, he began to see the issues first-hand with how AGE equipment was loaded.

“I noticed the loading process was slow, dangerous, and needed a substantial upgrade,” he said. “The current process requires AGE to locally purchase sheets of plywood, then cut and screw them together to assemble the required approach ramps for each aircraft type. This brings additional cost, man hours and risk of damage to the aircraft once in use.”

Hubbard had an idea of how to make the loading process easier and safer but did not know how to begin.

“I had no idea how to take an idea and start to make it a reality,” he said. “We pitched the ramp project to Spark Tank in the 2018-2019 cycle and to Air Combat Command’s leadership, but the idea was too simple and was a "just do it" concept, but it never got off the ground.”

He went back to planning but needed funding to make the ramp.

“It was at this point we began looking for squadron innovation funding,” he said. “I reached out to my squadron commander who helped me secure $7,000 dollars for the project design and helped me find the engineers to help me develop my idea.”

Dudley Allen, 55th Wing Continuous Improvement and Innovation manager, said he helped Hubbard navigate what could be a frustrating process.

“I have been successful in guiding Tech. Sgt. Hubbard through the challenges of the annual Air Force Spark Tank competition, which got the attention of the AFWERX Innovation program,” he said. “We found and provided innovation funds to purchase a prototype set from a race ramp contractor.

“The conceptual ramp system was named DINSTAAR – Danger Is No Stranger To An AGE Ranger – which is a recognizable acronym in the AGE community,” he continued. “Having a functional prototype triggered the AFWERX Refinery to select DINSTAAR for the Refinery Cohort 12.”

While Breyer was researching various projects, he came across this ramp idea and saw its potential and that it could possibly be used throughout the Air Force.

Breyer said the DINSTAAR Ramp was brought to Robins AFB and put to the test on a C-17 aircraft with the 562nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex.

“A proof-of-concept demonstration was conducted with AGE support equipment in early May,” he said. “The evaluation of the DINSTAAR ramp concept was completely successful.”

Breyer said they tested a wide variety of support equipment while the evaluation team was at Robins.

“Bomb loaders were not in the evaluation plan, but they tested those as well and found the ramps will not work for the low ground clearance of the loaders,” he said. “The evaluation provided feedback for adjustment of the second version design to accommodate other equipment types, like the bomb loaders, with very low ground clearance and better fit for the entire width of the aircraft ramp.” 

Breyer said the composite material-built ramp design can replace several plywood ramps commonly used for the loading of AGE equipment onto aircraft like the C-17, C-130 and C-5. 

“The ramps will reduce the current cargo weight ground support equipment approach ramps for C-17 aircraft by 50% and have a target intent for the C-5 aircraft reduction by 117% in total weight,” he said. “These ramps will be an off-the-shelf purchase and meet multiple ground support equipment variants further saving time in the loading and unloading of aircraft.”

According to Breyer, the composite material used in the ramp construction eliminates the use of wood, stopping any foreign wood restrictions, and would expand the global reach of Air Mobility Command aircraft.

“The DINSTAAR ramp weighs 36 pounds and has a total load capacity of 60,000 pounds,” he said. “Having done the evaluation, the team is better prepared to develop our proposal to Air Transportation Testing Loading Activity at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, for approval to use similar ramps in the future.”

According to Hubbard the DINSTAAR Ramp project wasn’t accomplished through his own efforts.

“I had monumental help to make it this far in the project and I am grateful to those who helped me get the ramp from design to reality,” he said. “The proof-of-concept evaluation at Robins AFB was a culmination of five years of working on this project and involved support from Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, the AFWERX Refinery Team, Air Force Life Cycle Management Support Equipment & Vehicle Systems Program Office, C-17 SPO, and the 562nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron with the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex at Robins.”