The 3rd Airlift Squadron spearheaded the testing of a new C-17 Globemaster III combat offloading procedure known as Method C...
A normal C-17 Method A combat offload consists of opening the cargo door, unlocking a pallet, then using inertia to slide the pallet off the ramp.
Method C allows aircrews to safely deliver palletized cargo off the aft ramp without the use of forklifts or other types of aircraft cargo handling vehicles.
With Method C, a pallet will be moved to the ramp then locked into the rail system and attached to a winch. Then the ramp is lowered and angled to 12 inches off the ground, allowing the pallet to be winched out slowly. This will allow the pallet to slide down the ramp and be gently lowered to the ground. Finally, the winch is disconnected before the plane taxis forward allowing the pallet to completely drop to the ground.
A normal C-17 Method A combat offload consists of opening the cargo door, unlocking a pallet, then using inertia to slide the pallet off the ramp.
Method C allows aircrews to safely deliver palletized cargo off the aft ramp without the use of forklifts or other types of aircraft cargo handling vehicles.
With Method C, a pallet will be moved to the ramp then locked into the rail system and attached to a winch. Then the ramp is lowered and angled to 12 inches off the ground, allowing the pallet to be winched out slowly. This will allow the pallet to slide down the ramp and be gently lowered to the ground. Finally, the winch is disconnected before the plane taxis forward allowing the pallet to completely drop to the ground.