Those where the days...

[isaiahsdad]

Ran across an old album long thought to have been lost and found these tucked away in the creases. Thought I would share. Brings back fond memories. Sorry for the size but didn't want the details to be missed. Those where the days. I actually still have a laminated business card I had printed way back then and still carry it in my wallet.

[Yellow Jacket]

Thanks for sharing. That is great.

[Jared]

Wow. Those are very cool!

[boomer]

Excellent, but what the heck is laboratory instruction?

[socwkbiker]

It's where they instruct you on how to create personal back pressure aka FART for additional velocity during highway trips.

[skeeter]

very cool

[isaiahsdad]

Originally Posted by boomer

Excellent, but what the heck is laboratory instruction?

I was wondering the same thing.

No, actually, The laboratory instruction was for accident re-construction and investigation. At the time, Tinker had no formal motorcycle training and no requirements for a safety course prior to riding on base. I was among 7 other instructors that formed the first classes now required to ride on base. At the time, the base commander wanted us to also take classes that taught us the proper way to investigate motorcycle accidents and file the proper reports. If a member of the military was involved in a motorcycle accident, we where immediately called to the scene to asses the accident and file the report to the base commander. Now at the time, there was a rash of motorcycle accidents involving military personnel and it was partially due to the fact that in the state of Oklahoma, you did not have to have an M endorsement, or any type of training for that matter to ride a motorcycle. It was shortly after we graduated, and formed the Tinker Consolidated Motorcycle Safety Council and we, along with the base commander, made it mandatory for all military personnel to complete a 20 hour hands on motorcycle safety course before they where allowed access to ride motorcycles on base. It was a pivotal point in the motorcycle safety issue of the time. Now, the courses are harder, and you are required refresher courses once a year. So I guess you could say, I was there when it all began.

I remember it well. The instructor course was exhausting. We trained on Honda Rebel 250cc and they where not the most comfortable bikes to ride to say the least and it was 2 hours in the class, 8 hours on the bike, every day for 2 weeks put on at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center at Will Rodgers Air Port. But it was well worth it. I still ride today with skills I learned way back then.

[chainsaw]

Utah, were you born yet when he took these? Ha just kidding.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Yes, those were the days and even the days prior to those days. I was an old fart when he got the certificate. I was 40 and soon to be 41, so I do remember those days and the days gone by before that.

Glad you got that certificate, it is something to be proud of.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Yellow Jacket, I like your new picture. Who took the picture for you?

[dantama]

Originally Posted by isaiahsdad

I was wondering the same thing.

No, actually, The laboratory instruction was for accident re-construction and investigation. At the time, Tinker had no formal motorcycle training and no requirements for a safety course prior to riding on base. I was among 7 other instructors that formed the first classes now required to ride on base. At the time, the base commander wanted us to also take classes that taught us the proper way to investigate motorcycle accidents and file the proper reports. If a member of the military was involved in a motorcycle accident, we where immediately called to the scene to asses the accident and file the report to the base commander. Now at the time, there was a rash of motorcycle accidents involving military personnel and it was partially due to the fact that in the state of Oklahoma, you did not have to have an M endorsement, or any type of training for that matter to ride a motorcycle. It was shortly after we graduated, and formed the Tinker Consolidated Motorcycle Safety Council and we, along with the base commander, made it mandatory for all military personnel to complete a 20 hour hands on motorcycle safety course before they where allowed access to ride motorcycles on base. It was a pivotal point in the motorcycle safety issue of the time. Now, the courses are harder, and you are required refresher courses once a year. So I guess you could say, I was there when it all began.

I remember it well. The instructor course was exhausting. We trained on Honda Rebel 250cc and they where not the most comfortable bikes to ride to say the least and it was 2 hours in the class, 8 hours on the bike, every day for 2 weeks put on at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center at Will Rodgers Air Port. But it was well worth it. I still ride today with skills I learned way back then.

Kawanow safety Czar?




.

[isaiahsdad]

Kawanow safety Czar?

Hehe, thats funny

[Yellow Jacket]

Originally Posted by AlabamaNomadRider

Yellow Jacket, I like your new picture. Who took the picture for you?

You must mean the one with my wife on the bike with me. Our baby daughter, Jen, was home from college for the weekend and she took the picture. The lovely young lady in my avatar picture is Jen when she was 14.