I came across a motorcycle safety article written by a US Air Force person that gives a comparison of riding a motorcycle being similar to flying a fighter plane. Many of the topics and ideas covered in the article are probably familiar to many of us, but there are also many new folks who ride these awesome bikes we own. Because those new people might benefit from the article, and us old farts might benefit from being reminded about the points in the article, I'm sharing it.
****Begin Article****
A Fighter Pilot Approach to Motorcycle Riding
Col. Mark “Chairman” Mouw"A man’s got to know his limitations," Clint Eastwood’s "Dirty Harry" character said in the
1973 movie, "Magnum Force."
I’m sure those words were in the back of Maverick’s mind as he paused on his Kawasaki GPZ
900 Ninja by the runway at Naval Air Station Miramar, Calif., to watch the F-14 Tomcats take
off in the 1986 movie, "Top Gun." He should have taken a moment to reflect, given how often
he put his aircraft out of control.
While flying a fighter and riding a motorcycle may have little in common, except both being a
"hoot," the deliberate approach required in aviation, to do what needs to be done without
bending metal, is also a smart way to approach a motorcycle ride before letting out the clutch.
This article is written by a fighter pilot and motorcycle enthusiast, to blend the best of both
worlds — we want all motorcycle riders to have a "hoot" for years and years to come!
TrainingA fighter pilot goes through extensive training to learn the basic skills of flying an airplane, but
more importantly, undergoes continuation training to develop new skills while honing existing
skills. Recurrent training builds habit patterns that can be relied on when things get hairy.
Motorcyclists can benefit from this same approach. Our traffic safety rules already require us to
get some basic motorcycle training, but really, how effective is an initial course and perhaps a
refresher course in developing a lifetime of skills? Those courses give you some basics, but
you’re on your own to practice periodically, to sharpen your reflexes and habit patterns.
Take time to hone your riding skills, especially after a layoff, to rebuild those good habit
patterns. Find a parking lot where you have some room to practice handling your motorcycle.
Fighter pilots never practice in the main airways; they go to special airspace where the dangers
of the maneuvers can be managed. With that said, the street is no place to practice your skills.
Many excellent programs are available to develop advanced riding skills.
PlanningA great sortie always starts with a great plan. Sitting down with your wingmen to decide what
the job in front of you will require is a key step to understanding what it will take to get from
point A to point B.
Not all motorcycle rides necessarily involve a great deal of planning, but you should take a few
moments to consider where you’re going and how you intend to get there. Doing so should make
the ride more enjoyable. When selecting your route of travel, consider how bad weather or traffic
congestion might affect driving conditions for you and other motorists.
Weather also affects the human machine. "Dress for egress" is a common saying among pilots,
who may start out warm and comfy, then end up wet and cold in the middle of nowhere, with
nothing except their wits for protection. If you’ve been getting fat and lazy all winter, your first
ride of spring shouldn’t be an all-day run through the twisties, hoping the highway patrol doesn’t
put a laser on you.
The Right GearSuiting up is a very personal affair. Getting harnessed just right, choosing the color of the skull
cap under your helmet and other accessories are important considerations for the pilot. You gotta
look and feel right. More importantly, the equipment has to work. Unlike a fighter pilot, most
motorcyclists can’t afford a highly skilled life-support technician, so you’re on your own to wear
the right gear,
all the time. Road rash isn’t funny, even when it’s on someone else. A steer gave
his life so you can look good in leather, so wear it! If your girlfriend is a diehard PETA member,
even textile is better than being naked
The most powerful muscle you have, or maybe the second-most one, is your brain, which is easy
to squash like a melon. The rules say to wear a helmet. If you chose not to wear one, please keep
a copy of your living will in your wallet so your family can unplug the life-support machine.
PreflightThe walk-around with the crew chief is the traditional informal ceremony for the pilot to
officially be lent the aircraft. A rider is his own crew chief; if the machine is unreliable, it’s your
own fault. Take time to make sure all is in order – tires are inflated properly, fluid levels are
good, and all lights are serviceable. Even better than being able to accelerate is being able to
stop. Inspect your brakes so that something else doesn’t have to bring you to a sudden stop.
Clean machines run better and look better, and at least you know there’s still oil in the motor.
Area WorkOnce in the area; the plan, machine and man interface is put to the test. Where will problems
arise and which part will be the weak link? You’re cruising along, king of all you see, and then a
missile comes off your wingman about the same time a warning light goes off on your
instrument panel. What will you do, act then think, think then act, or just react? Your actions
may reflect badly on you, or have you looking like a hero. In "Top Gun," Maverick had to
recover from hallucinogenic episodes before he started to react.
As a motorcyclist, you won’t have that luxury. You face similar scenarios on your bike every
day. Is the car in the next driveway going to back out? Does the "snowbird" driving next to you
know you’re there? Why does that pickup I’m following have so much junk in the bed? Any of
those situations can quickly put you in reaction mode. The most common outcome when facing
an unanticipated situation is overreacting to it and putting the shiny side of the motorcycle on the
pavement.
How do you prepare for such incidents? Pilots call knowing what’s going on around them
"situational awareness." Maintaining SA while you ride, so you can apply the techniques you
were taught in your rider training is paramount to controlling and preparing for the risks you’ll
face. Anticipate the unanticipated and expect the unexpected! Operating your motorcycle within
your capabilities, just like flying a fighter, may make the difference between stopping short of a
catastrophe and launching over the hood of a vehicle. You don’t want to hear those infamous
words, "I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you."
Visual LookoutWhat about visual lookout tactics for riding? Fighter pilots always say ―lose sight, lose fight,‖
and they train themselves to pick up the first tally on an enemy airplane. Can the motorcycle
rider benefit from a deliberate "problem ID" plan? An enemy airplane at 600 knots and 10 miles
away could be a friendly, so improving SA rests a great deal on using your vision effectively.
Planning should have revealed how environmental conditions might affect your plan.
Anything you put in front of your eyes will decrease your long-range vision, so think about how
many layers you put between yourself and the road. A scratched visor is a killer when hit by
headlights or the sun, and dark visors on a dark or cloudy day significantly delay the range at
which you can pick up hazards, such as potholes.
How you use your eyes is as important as knowing what can be seen. Focus techniques and scan
patterns are important tools of the fighter pilot. They are taught to scan from near to far, to
ensure the "kill zone" is clear, and then to look at threats outside the kill zone. When scanning
from 3,000 feet to 2 miles, using things along the ground helps with focus. Why? Because depth
perception and measuring distance is important to protect and react to things inside the "kill
zone."
For the motorcycle jock, that "kill zone" is based on the ability to maneuver out of harm's way. A
motorcycle traveling at 60 miles per hour approaching an oncoming car also traveling at 60 mph
achieves a closing rate of 176 feet per second. The rider’s kill zone is now 528 feet – more than a
football field and a half! He has three seconds to react. If you’re doing 120 mph on a sport bike
and that oncoming car is going 60 mph ... well, you get the picture, and it ain't pretty.
Keep your eyes moving, but look for something in the distance to focus on, then refocus at a
range that will give you time to react, and don’t get lazy and let your eyes glaze over at about 10
feet.
What if I’m having a bad day and my reaction time doubles? Understand contributing factors and
be more cautious. Peripheral vision comes into play as it supports our SA by triggering us to
move our head and assess the threat. Most people have greater peripheral vision in their
dominant eye, meaning, for example, better peripheral vision on the right side leaves a weakness
on the other side. No good fighter pilot is going to leave that left side unscanned and let a threat
into the "kill zone."
Can you improve focus, scanning and the distance that you first pick up targets? Absolutely. The
Air Force Fighter Weapons School ("Top Gun" for Air Force fighter pilots) taught focus
techniques moving from near to far on almost all flights to improve vision and scan techniques.
For peripheral vision, they tested your ability by having you hold a ball in each hand and then
moving your hands to see how far your vision extended, then trying to improve it through scans.
Remember this — heads down time can kill you in flying and on a motorcycle. Keep those eyes
where you’re going!
An understanding of the enemy is also important for both fighter pilots and motorcycle riders.
What’s the field of the view of that "snowbird" waiting at that upcoming intersection? Probably
not nearly what yours is, and I’ll bet nobody ever taught that person to scan. Do you think the
driver can see the distance you can?
There’s a lot to how fighter pilots use their vision to protect and defend the "kill zone."
Motorcyclists can do the same thing. A great article on this subject is available at
http://www.sportrider.com/ride/146_9504_improving_motorcycle_eyesight/index.htmlWhat IfFighter pilots consider breakdowns in the plan as part of the plan, calling them "what if's." What
if a coordinated strike becomes uncoordinated, someone doesn't show up, or the timing is off?
What if our missile employment isn't as lethal as we hoped? What if we fail to destroy the target
on the first pass? Those "what ifs" force a risk-management action plan in the calm of the
briefing room, and help avoid real-time actions becoming too ad-hoc, reactionary, or ineffective.
The motorcycle rider should have plans, as well. What if the group I'm riding with exceeds my
comfort level, either through speed or questionable actions? What if the weatherman was wrong,
and the predicted sunny day is instead drizzly, and a damp layer of grease and oil coats the road?
What if my favorite roads haven't been maintained lately, and gravel or sand covers the apex of
my turn? Fortunately for the motorcyclist, there is one simple solution to help you survive the
unexpected: slow down. Slower speeds allow for greater reaction time should an unexpected
event occur. If a collision appears unavoidable, understand proper braking techniques, leave
yourself an out, and as a last line of defense, always wear a full ensemble of personal protective
gear.
Lesson LearnedAfter the flight is over, honest and pointed feedback draws out what went right and what went
wrong, so we don’t make the same mistakes again. If you’re lucky and have a wingman to ride
with, you’ll get some feedback on things you might need to work on. If you care about your
buddies, and they need some constructive feedback, you’ll provide it. Simple things, such as
cornering techniques, worn or unserviceable motorcycle parts, or wearing riding gear that just
isn’t cool anymore are just a few examples. If you ride with friends who think doing wheelies
and stoppies on public roads is OK; then you have your "being a good wingman" work cut out
for you. You might try discussing problems you see with another rider who has credibility and
might team up with you in correcting a problem.
One Last ThingAfter the debrief is over, invariably someone has one last tidbit of insight they feel compelled to
share. So, here’s one last item for riders. The public and military opinion of riders is about the
same as the cute club bartender’s opinion of fighter pilot stories – not great!
Cleaning up the sport and keeping an eye on each other will go a long way toward changing
attitudes. There are many great motorcycle clubs out there whose members have tons of riding
experience, training ideas, fun ride tips, and great friendship available. Check one out or try
http://www.greenknightsmc.com/newchapterinfo.html if you need help finding or starting a
chapter near you.
****End Article****
