Wing leadership emphasizes importance of motorcycle safety Published March 5, 2010 By 2nd Lt. Casey Osborne 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- With springtime quickly approaching, many in the wing have already begun taking out their motorcycles and riding on their off-time and weekends. However, roughly six months of not riding coupled with the winter road conditions still in effect could prove disastrous for riders, and wing leadership has made motorcycle safety a top priority for members. "We're seeing more and more of our Airmen taking their bikes out after the winter, knocking the rust off and going out for a ride," said Col. Robert Thomas, 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander. "However, their lack of practice and the possibility of black ice under a bridge or in a tunnel could prove very dangerous." During fiscal year 2009, the Air Force had a staggering 20 fatalities from motorcycle accidents. Such a grim statistic spurred Air Mobility Command to enact aggressive policies in order to curb the danger of motorcycling. Here at Fairchild, our safety office offers three riding courses to properly equip riders. According to Tech. Sgt. Michael Bacon, 92nd Air Refueling Wing ground safety NCOIC, the base hosts a basic, experienced and sports bike course. All three are taught by Motorcycle Safety Foundation certified instructors and advance the skill set of riders. "While the basic and experienced courses are required by the Air Force, the sports bike course is only required by AMC," Bacon said. "By offering that course, we're really going above and beyond the minimum." Just offering these courses isn't enough; supervisors at all levels need to get to know their Airmen and recognize when someone engages in a potentially dangerous hobby. "I believe it is imperative we know who in the wing are motorcycle riders and to ensure that those riders are properly equipped and properly trained to operate their vehicles," said Col. Timothy Bush, 92nd Air Refueling Wing vice commander. "Oftentimes we have found that the Airmen who kill themselves on bikes were Airmen that were off the radar. In other words, their chain of command did not know that they were out there riding a 900 cc sports bike." If you plan on riding this spring and summer, make sure your leadership is aware and you attend the proper classes. Contact your unit's Motorcycle Safety Representative to sign up. The next round of classes is scheduled for March 29 and 30 for the Basic Riders course, April 6 for the Experienced Riders course and April 13 for the Sports Bike course.