Riders participate in basic safety course Published Nov. 21, 2008 By Wayne Crenshaw 78 Air Base Wing Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- The temperatures are dropping and so is the price of gas, but the numbers of people wanting to ride motorcycles to work at Robins continues to rise. In bitingly cold weather, the Basic Rider Safety Course was held this week in a location considerably more visible than normal. Due to work being done on the normal training range near the Gator Air Base on the south end of the base, the old training course in the parking lot outside the 78th Air Base Wing headquarters was reclaimed. The two-day course emphasizes maneuvering skills so that riders can avoid other vehicles or dangerous objects in the road. Ernie Griffin, an air logistics specialist in the 560th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was one of seven riders in the class this week. He has held a motorcycle license for years, although he hadn't ridden much until he bought a 2008 Harley Davidson Electra Glide four months ago. It's a big touring bike and not the easiest to maneuver, but Mr. Griffin found the class helpful. "I've learned a lot," he said as the class was wrapping up. "I've learned I can make that big bike do things that I didn't know it could do." The class dramatically improved his confidence in his ability to quickly avoid a hazard. "I feel 100 percent better about it," he said. The class, which is mandatory for anyone who wants to ride a motorcycle on base, is taught by volunteers. One of those is Master Sgt. Scott Main, who works in maintenance in the 116th Air Control Wing. He said he has been riding motorcycles since he was five years old. "I've never had any body leave this class and say 'I didn't learn anything,'" Sergeant Main said. To learn more about motorcycle safety and the "See Me Save Me" campaign, see www.robins.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=13379.