Where rubber meets road Published Aug. 10, 2006 By Lisa Terry McKeown 43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- For many, nothing compares to the freedom of riding a motorcycle. But there's a problem -- safety. The saying goes "there are two kinds of riders: those who have crashed and those who will." With an unforgiving road, safety can mean the difference between life or death. In fiscal year 2005, six Air Mobility Command members died and 35 more sustained injuries in motorcycle accidents. All six of the fatalities and 33 of the mishaps involved sport bike riders. A closer examination of the situations revealed riders exceeded the limit of the motorcycle, the environment and the their own riding skills. To save lives, reduce the number of mishaps and help Airmen get the most out of their riding experience, AMC has directed all bases to develop proficiency training programs for active duty sport bike riders. "We've found many have been riding high performance bikes with a basic riders course knowledge, and they've learned bad habits," said Sean Carter, 43rd Airlift Wing Safety Office." The top killers in motorcycle accidents are improper curve negotiation, alcohol, high speed braking and not having the proper equipment, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol. Pope's new strategic riding course will train riders to handle or avoid these situations. The course includes classroom discussions, riding on the course's range and a written test. AMC defines a sport bike as a "streamlined, high performance aerodynamic designed motorcycle." Some call them "bullet bikes" and their design allows the rider to get into a crouched, more aerodynamic stance on the bike. "I don't think it's the bikes that are the problem," said Mark Brown, N.C. Highway Patrolman and the instructor for Pope's courses. "It's a lack of knowledge." Mr. Brown has been the training coordinator for the N.C. Highway Patrol's motor unit for 18 year. The strategic riders course is a free class, held in the parking lot of the old Post Office. The upcoming classes are Aug. 18, Sept. 8 and 15. The first class was held Aug. 4 despite the grueling heat. Ten students riding everything from a Kawasaki to a Harley Davidson joined Mr. Brown in learning how to ride around obstacles, ride in formation, handle sharp turns and more. "Experience is your best teacher if you can live through it," said Mr. Brown. "Mistakes are not bad if you learn from them. It's better to find your limits in a controlled, training environment, versus being on the street in an uncontrolled environment, falling over, and getting hit by a car. In this course, we're teaching you how to drive your motorcycle and not just ride it." Tech. Sgt. Tonya Alston, 743rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, has been riding sport bikes for more than 5 years. At first, she was apprehensive about taking the course. "I was expecting to fall down and dump my bike," she said. The course was difficult. In the beginning, not many were able to maneuver the obstacles without running over cones. But by the end of the day, all of the students were whipping around the course as if they were professional riders. "It's boosted my confidence in my skills as a rider," said Sergeant Alston. The course is only a piece of a larger program the safety office is implementing. The new program involves squadron motorcycle safety representatives, mentors and group-level training leaders. The course is not only for sport bike riders. Mr. Carter hopes all of Pope's bike riders will come out and take the course. "Motorcyclists are moving targets out there and a lot of times, other drivers don't see us," he said. "Any training that will help us avoid a bad situation is a good thing -- especially when it could save your life." To register for the strategic riders course, visit the "communities of practice" section on the Air Force Portal. Mr. Carter has a link for "Pope Air Force Base Motorcycle." For more information, call the safety office at 394-8372.