Motorcycle Course While in Flight School?

[kookylukey]

Hey all, is it possible to take the motorcycle course when you get to Pcola for flight school? From research online, everyone just mentions "when you get to your duty station" which sounds more enlisted side than going to flight school.

Just some background, I have two cars now, but seriously considering selling my "fun" car because it sounds like it will be a hassle to bring two cars everywhere, still making a payment on the fun car, and if I can't ever drive the fun car then what's the point. So was looking into using some of the money from selling the fun car to just get a motorcycle which should be less of a hassle and actually beneficial in Florida or Texas.

Anyway just seeing if it's possible to do the safety course and get a motorcycle/license endorsement while in flight school or even before flight school/after OCS?

 

[scoolbubba]

On day 1 of checking into schools command for API or whatever the new name is, they'll ask if there are any motorcycle riders. They'll tell you not to ride your bike til you take the safety classes. You'll probably have some downtime before you class up. The base safety center will have a schedule for the basic rider course and sport bike course that you can sign up to take for free. BRC is 2 days, not sure but I think the sport bike course is also 2. They've usually got loaner bikes for the BRC, not sure about the sport bike course. PPE is on you.

disclaimer: I don't ride, but am considering picking up another expensive hobby because fuck it and did a lot of digging into this.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

Hey all, is it possible to take the motorcycle course when you get to Pcola for flight school? From research online, everyone just mentions "when you get to your duty station" which sounds more enlisted side than going to flight school.

Just some background, I have two cars now, but seriously considering selling my "fun" car because it sounds like it will be a hassle to bring two cars everywhere, still making a payment on the fun car, and if I can't ever drive the fun car then what's the point. So was looking into using some of the money from selling the fun car to just get a motorcycle which should be less of a hassle and actually beneficial in Florida or Texas.

Anyway just seeing if it's possible to do the safety course and get a motorcycle/license endorsement while in flight school or even before flight school/after OCS?

Why do you think a motorcycle will be beneficial in Florida or Texas

 

[Jim123]

Why do you think a motorcycle will be beneficial in Florida or Texas

Gettin' away from the cops, duh.

 

[Dontcallmegump]

I'm all for anyone who wants to ride and actually goes though the process to do it safely with the right boxes checked. But dear god the navy picked the worst places in America for training bases in terms of motorcycle riding. If you want, go for it, the above info is correct, but it won't be fun and it's a terrible place for many other reasons too.

You'd have way more fun anytime you're near the gulf spending that money on other hobbies.

 

[kookylukey]

Why do you think a motorcycle will be beneficial in Florida or Texas

I'm all for anyone who wants to ride and actually goes though the process to do it safely with the right boxes checked. But dear god the navy picked the worst places in America for training bases in terms of motorcycle riding. If you want, go for it, the above info is correct, but it won't be fun and it's a terrible place for many other reasons too.

You'd have way more fun anytime you're near the gulf spending that money on other hobbies.

I guess being from PA I thought the warm weather 365 days a year would be beneficial as I could ride all year long? That and making the ride to base more interesting. But again I dont know anything. What other hobbies around the gulf would you guys suggest? I ride my road and mountain bikes a lot so was looking forward to the year round warm weather for that as well.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

I guess being from PA I thought the warm weather 365 days a year would be beneficial as I could ride all year long? That and making the ride to base more interesting. But again I dont know anything. What other hobbies around the gulf would you guys suggest? I ride my road and mountain bikes a lot so was looking forward to the year round warm weather for that as well.

If you want to get a motorcycle have fun. I got a motorcycle when I got to Pensacola on a whim and had some fun with it. It also wasn’t terribly practical and drivers in Pcola and Corpus aren’t very aware. Also it rains a lot in the summer in Pcola and it’s hot in Corpus. Having ridden both places I wouldn’t recommend it or in general. I got to try to comfort some guy in Kingsville who smashed his skull on the concrete (after his helmet came off after a couple cartwheels) after some chick turned in front of his motorcycle and fled the scene.

 

[Brett327]

I guess being from PA I thought the warm weather 365 days a year would be beneficial as I could ride all year long? That and making the ride to base more interesting. But again I dont know anything. What other hobbies around the gulf would you guys suggest? I ride my road and mountain bikes a lot so was looking forward to the year round warm weather for that as well.

It may be generally warm, but it also rains a lot and when it rains it rains hard, so water accumulates and is generally not fun to ride in. I rode in FL most of the 10 years I was stationed there, but you should have a realistic expectation of what the weather is actually like.

 

[Hair Warrior]

Get a Jeep. If you know, you know.

You can still get a motorcycle too if that’s your thing.

 

[kookylukey]

If you want to get a motorcycle have fun. I got a motorcycle when I got to Pensacola on a whim and had some fun with it. It also wasn’t terribly practical and drivers in Pcola and Corpus aren’t very aware. Also it rains a lot in the summer in Pcola and it’s hot in Corpus. Having ridden both places I wouldn’t recommend it or in general. I got to try to comfort some guy in Kingsville who smashed his skull on the concrete (after his helmet came off after a couple cartwheels) after some chick turned in front of his motorcycle and fled the scene.

It may be generally warm, but it also rains a lot and when it rains it rains hard, so water accumulates and is generally not fun to ride in. I rode in FL most of the 10 years I was stationed there, but you should have a realistic expectation of what the weather is actually like.

Thanks guys, I'll probably just save my money then and stick with my human powered bikes for now or maybe pick up some other hobby when I get there.

 

[kookylukey]

Get a Jeep. If you know, you know.

You can still get a motorcycle too if that’s your thing.

Used to have a wrangler and loved it and sold it for my GT350 now. That was part of the original dilemma though of not wanting the hassle/logistics of trying to take two cars everywhere I get moved to

 

[Notanaviator]

Why do you think a motorcycle will be beneficial in Florida or Texas

I try to stay in my lane here, but what’s the alternative? I’m pretty sure you’d look like a moron riding a bicycle or sprinting down a taxiway shaking your fist at some rando taking off on the active runway.

 

[Jim123]

Regarding Pensacola drivers and riding a motorcycle (or driving a car), a lot of Pensacola drivers have this weird thing where their depth perception and ability to judge closure really sucks, combined that with no sense of hustle and a lot of them amble out of driveways or stop signs into fast traffic and then accelerate slowwwwly.

There is also this weird "no, you go" thing at four way stops (never mind roundabouts, although there are very few around here). My theory is that is derived from good manners where you hold a door for someone, except when driving they subconsciously expect the other driver to figuratively hold the door by yielding when it's not their their place to yield. That theory explains the pulling into traffic and expecting the other guy to hit his brakes to let them in, even when they have a stop sign.

I have another theory that they teach stop signs in driver's ed as stop, look, then just go anyway. Or maybe that's the driver's ed passed down from generation to generation (as opposed to a formal course with even a grain of standardization). There is no road test, it's just a thing in the parking lot behind the DMV. I'm afraid to ask what the max number of cones you can bowl over and still pass.

On the bright side, if you can make it a couple years without even a scratch or fender bender in Pensacola then it is positive proof that your defensive driving ability is top notch.

Seriously though, be careful riding a motorcycle around here. People really do suck at driving.

 

[Jim123]

I’m pretty sure you’d look like a moron riding a bicycle or sprinting down a taxiway shaking your fist at some rando taking off on the active runway.

I used to do that to the helicopters at South Whiting while pedaling my heart out on the perimeter road where it loops around the approach end of 32/departure of 14. Sometimes I pulled a wheelie.

 

[insanebikerboy]

I’ve ridden motorcycles for 30 years and put more miles yearly on my motorcycle than my Jeep. They are just fun to ride.

If you want a bike get one, just don’t ride like an idiot and keep your head on a swivel.