A prototype collapsible ladder for the F-16 Viper is stored in the cockpit map case. The invention by Maj. Nick “Trapper” Atkins of Aviano Air Base in Italy would give F-16 pilots more versatility leaving the aircraft when landing in austere environments. (Nicholas Atkins/U.S. Air Force)
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy — An F-16 Viper pilot’s flash of inspiration amid frustration turned into a win in the annual Air Force innovation competition known as Spark Tank, where he beat out 137 other submissions.
The collapsible F-16 ladder invented by Maj. Nick “Trapper” Atkins of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base was selected as the best of the six finalists in the competition, which helps airmen bring promising ideas to market.
The “numerous times” that Atkins had found himself without a ladder during his career prompted him to create a portable one that fits in the airplane’s map case, he said.
“Sometimes being mad solves things,” Atkins, the chief of agile combat employment for the wing, said Monday about the Oct. 30 Spark Tank finals at the Pentagon.
Agile combat employment is a set of concepts that involves rapid deployment of aircraft from larger overseas installations to groups of smaller, often remote locations with minimal infrastructure.
In contrast with pilots of many other aircraft, those who fly the F-16 rely on a ladder that is pre-positioned. However, the size and availability constraints of those ladders opened the door for Atkins to come up with something better.
A prototype ladder for the F-16 Viper is draped over the side of the aircraft. The collapsible ladder received top honors at the Air Force’s Spark Tank competition on Oct. 30. (Nicholas Atkins/U.S. Air Force)
“If you look at what our competitive advantage is going to be to get after the threat, it’s our allies, it’s our industry and it’s our people,” Gen. Mike Guetlein, vice chief of space operations and one of the five competition judges, said in an Air Force statement. “Our people are the ones innovating and bringing forward smart ideas.”
Spark Tank winners don’t receive financial compensation, though their name is listed on the Air Force-owned patent.
Since winning Spark Tank, Atkins has been working toward approval and certification of the prototype.
He said the version of the ladder that won the competition doesn’t meet all the requirements of the Air Force’s System Program Office, which manages the development and acquisition of military systems and programs.
The new version will work toward that, he added. Areas being looked at for modification include the load-bearing points and ways to minimize wear and tear on the aircraft.
He hopes that winning the competition will help bring the ladder to mass production. For now, the wing is funding the effort to get it from prototype to production and available for commercial purchase.
Atkins and his team at Aviano are in talks with the military contractor Bunker Supply, which specializes in developing and manufacturing optimized equipment on a larger scale, he said.
“With a product like this, we are trying to resource 900-plus for the Air Force inventory, so we need a company whose purpose is to build,” Atkins said.
Once the prototype achieves System Program Office certification, Atkins said, the goal is to have a production model of the ladder available for units to purchase online by the end of 2025.
