benhamf15 Posted October 9, 2013 Report Share Posted October 9, 2013 Hi all. I'm Benny, long-time lurker. Cobie called me out in another thread, so I'm finally coming out of the woodwork and joining in the conversations, hopefully with some value added. How did I get here? I'm on active duty in the USAF and I was formerly an F-15 Instructor Pilot. As eventually happens to all of us, I got sent to a staff job. At least it was in Hawaii. Needing my adrenaline fix, I bought a sport bike (imagine that...). Shortly after getting my bike and going through the requisite MSF training I participated in the ARTD program at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. That's when the light bulb really came on. I was so impressed with the quality of the training that I wanted to become a part of it and eventually got certified as a Rider Coach for the ARTD program. I've now been associated with CSS for about 4 years and my learning curve continues to be as steep as ever. I've also watched the training work well for over 1500 ARTD students, and the safety record of riders that have participated in that training is nothing short of amazing. Needless to say, I'm totally sold on the CSS way of training... and I'm not easily impressed. Since then, I've moved to the Florida panhandle which is great because there are several great tracks nearby. I now ride only on the track since it's the only way to properly enjoy what a sport bike has to offer. I love track riding because there is always something you can improve upon, similar to flying. My "home" track is JenningsGP but I've also had the opportunity to ride Barber. I was hoping to make NOLA and Road Atlanta this year but I was suddenly deployed for a year so those will have to wait. I've done CSS at Streets (twice) and Vegas and am hoping to do many more with the school. I look forward to getting to know everyone on the forum. Cheers, Benny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmckeen Posted October 10, 2013 Report Share Posted October 10, 2013 HI and welcome to the forums , When exactly were you out instructing at MCBH ?? I was stationed there for a few years and am curious if our stays overlapped. Tyler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktk_ace Posted October 10, 2013 Report Share Posted October 10, 2013 Hi there! I take that the G-forces are kinda similar eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benhamf15 Posted October 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2013 HI and welcome to the forums , When exactly were you out instructing at MCBH ?? I was stationed there for a few years and am curious if our stays overlapped. Tyler Tyler, I was there doing the ARTD stuff from late 2009 through late 2011. I only missed 2 ARTDs during that period (including the very first) so if you were involved in any, we've probably crossed paths. Benny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benhamf15 Posted October 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2013 Hi there! I take that the G-forces are kinda similar eh? Well... almost. At least I don't have to worry about a G-Induced Loss of Consciousness on a bike. I can't rule out a crash-induced one though. Certainly the challenge and the excitement are similar, at least when talking about track riding. It's been a truly great substitute. It pushes all the same buttons for me. There's nothing like learning to push a high-performance machine to it's limit and learning to do it well enough that you're truly comfortable doing so. It's even better if you can get good enough to be able to not just do it yourself, but teach others those same skills. To me, that's the ultimate enjoyment. It just doesn't get any better than that in my opinion. Benny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotfoot Posted October 10, 2013 Report Share Posted October 10, 2013 Glady you are here, and have decided to speak up. Welcome and we look forward to your input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwarner Posted October 13, 2013 Report Share Posted October 13, 2013 Welcome to the forum, we've probably crossed paths in person! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicsDad Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 Welcome, I think the eye to hand coordination required of a fighter pilot is very similar and will transfer well! The speed threshold may be different than racing a motorcyle unless you were flying at 500 feet in full burner with some close by visual references! I was a crew chief in the "tailhook division" of the military aviation world. While not a pilot, I did get my share of backseat rides in TA4-J`s and a couple of cat-shots. Sportbike piloting has sufficed very well since! Best of success and welcome to the madness for there is no escape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benhamf15 Posted October 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 Welcome to the forum, we've probably crossed paths in person! Lyle, We have met. I sent you a PM... don't know if you got it. Benny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rchase Posted November 3, 2013 Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 Welcome to the forum. I also ride a lot of Barber so if you see me out at the track come up and say hi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benhamf15 Posted November 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 I'm planning to be there when CSS comes next summer as long as I'm back from my deployment in time. It may be my first ride in over a year by then. I'll definitely look for you if you're there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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