Greetings Riders,

 

After a long hot Summer the forecast for the next 2 weeks is a thing of beauty for us here in the Valley of the Sun. Mid 80’s and sunny I can deal with especially while on a motorcycle. Even up till last weekend, especially on Saturday it was still HOT! Looks like we might have finally turned the corner. Get out and enjoy it!

 

Thanks to all who made the big SWITCH and passed along the information for the Cyclerides.com Westgate Bike Night last Wednesday night. The word must have gotten around because there was no decrease in the crowd at all, in fact it might have been larger and was a great time with all of the cool bikes that came out for the night. Thanks to Tatum Motorsports for bringing out Paul Tracy’s 1700 HP Sand Rail for us to see. We will continue on Wednesday nights for the next 4 nights that will end this season on November 16th. Highlights for the next 4 weeks will be a Veterans Day Celebration on November 9th and the unveil of my new bike, The “Mako Glide” on November 16th. Thanks again for making the switch. See you this Wednesday with Live Music from the Jacob Waltz Band.

 

The Cyclerides.com Mesa Riverview Bike Night will continue for another 4 nights as well ending on November 18th. Enjoy the Sal Carlino Band this Friday night. Thanks to Tim at Desert Rat Truck Centers for bringing out the Off-Road display. Very cool.

 

 

Along with riding motorcycles, flying is another passion of mine. Since getting my private pilot license in 2008 I have taken every opportunity available to enjoy aviation with trips around the Southwest, California and Mexico. Not only do I like piloting the plane myself, but just being around airplanes is of big interest. One aspect of aviation that has always intrigued me is how they refuel jets in the air. I had seen this on TV before and even though it was on my bucket list, I never imagined having the opportunity to see it for myself. But when the opportunity came around through a friend of mine associated with the Phoenix Air National Guard Patriots and their community awareness program, I jumped on it and it exceeded my expectations.

 

We arrived at the Air National Guard base at Phoenix Sky Harbor at 0530. After passing through the gates we made our way to the Arizona Air National Guard 161st Air Refueling Wing for our briefing about the flight. After a video, flight instruction, a little background about what we would be doing on our flight and some history of the air refueling process, we headed to the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker which would be our ride for the morning. There are currently eight KC-135’s on the base and ours was also known as the D’Back One. Take a look at the cool logo they made for it. These planes have been in service with the U.S. Air Force and contributing to air superiority for over 50 years.

 

We boarded the plane, buckled in to our seats that lined the walls of the aircraft and soon felt the tremendous thrust of the 4 giant jet engines that quickly catapulted us to our 28,000 feet cruising altitude. Once we leveled off we were encouraged get up and explore the cockpit, talk to the pilots and learn as much as we could about the mission and the aircraft. Being a pilot myself and have an insatiable appetite to learn as much as I can about aviation, I ended up spending a lot of our 2.5 hours in the air around the cockpit soaking up all that I could.

 

Our destination was in an area Northeast of Tucson as our mission on this day was to do refueling practice with Egyptian pilots flying F-16’s. After about 40 minutes of flying a rectangle racetrack type of pattern at 28,000 feet, our excitement mounted as we noticed the first of eight F-16’s fly up along side our KC-135 waiting for instructions to settle back in behind the huge tanker to practice hooking up to the boom and taking on some fuel that in a combat environment would be absolutely essential to complete a long distance mission. The KC-135’s are commonly known as “Gas Passers” throughout the military aviation community.

 

Once the word spread that the first of the 8 F-16’s scheduled to refuel had arrived, the line of the 25 passengers lined up to the rear of the plane to get their shot and seeing this process up close and personal. The boom operator is located in the middle of the rear of the plane in front of a large window and a panel with a couple of joysticks used to operate the boom. He also has a headset on to communicate with the pilot in the plane. The guests go down some steps on both sides of the boom operator and lay face down on a pad to look out the back window. This is where you get your first look at the F-16 slowly coming forward to meet the boom and take a sip of the 200,000 pounds of fuel the big tanker has to dispense at 6000 pounds per minute.

 

When instructed by the boom operator, the F-16 negotiates his way behind the tanker as both planes travel at 300 knots. He then waits for the “flying boom” to be extended while being guided by the boom operator to inch his way within reach of the boom so that it can be extended to the receptacle in the F-16. At this point it latches on to the F-16 and starts the fueling process. Keep in mind, the receptacle is above and behind the pilot, so he does not have a view of exactly where the boom is. In theory, this process seems almost impossible to accomplish. I would have liked to have heard the reaction to this idea when it was first discussed. You would think there is no way to fly an F-16 up behind a KC-135 and insert a 6 inch pipe into it at 300 knots. But as you will see by the video, these guys make it look real easy.

 

Seeing this whole process in person is just about the coolest thing you can see in aviation. You’ve got one of the meanest fighter jets in the world pulling up behind you at 300 knots, 28,000 feet in the air and you are close enough to see his face and read the name on the side of his plane. The first time you see this it is really a rush and almost hard to comprehend. You get about a minute and a half to view and then you are asked to let the next person come down. Fortunately, I got to go another couple of times and was able to get video and photos from both sides of the boom. For an aviation lover, and a big supporter of our military, it was awesome to see the United States air superiority first hand.

 

We have over 400 of these tankers working throughout the world. Most countries have single digits of these planes and no other country even comes close to what we can do in the air with these tankers being a very big part of it. A typical F-16 only has about 300 nm of fuel on board. That means that they can only go 150 nm out and back with fuel on board. These tankers make it so that these planes can essentially fly for hours and make long strikes from their base do to the ability to refuel in the air. So the next time you see one of the big tankers on the ground on the South side of Sky Harbor airport, know that they are essential to keeping the United States the military power that we are.

 

Thanks to Phoenix Air National Guard Patriots and the crew for allowing me to share in this incredible experience and to Scott Nylen for inviting me. This was one that will be etched in my memory bank forever. Be sure to look at the 48 pictures I took of the day and the 3 HD Video’s of the refueling process. They are fantastic and worth the download.

 

Click Here for Photos.

Click Here Video 1

Click Here Video 2

Click Here Video 3

 

Click Here for the History of the KC-135

 

 

**Mako Glide Update. Updates this week: The new Rinehart 4 inch True Dual Exhaust has been installed, the Chrome Exchange parts have arrived and an updated photo of the new Air Cleaner. The parts are now at C.R. Designs for paint and the progress is going well. Hopeful to spray red paint this week. Click Here to view. We have added one last part, the custom air cleaner. We covered half of the original air cleaner with fiberglass and left some chrome exposed. The fiberglass cover will be screwed on the sides which will show no visible bolts to attach the air cleaner. The fiberglass part will be painted red like the bike. It is the last picture on the page. It ends up that only one part on the bike does not have fiberglass fabrication and that is the front fender. This has turned out to be a way bigger project than I had envisioned, but I think we have created a really cool bike in the process. There has been a little change in color as I have decided to go with Viper Red. With the Corvette theme, it just seemed like the thing to do. One recent piece that Jim fabricated was the Chin Spoiler that I thought came out real nice.

 

**New Google Search for the Cyclerides.com Archives: If you remember something from a newsletter that you want to revisit but can’t remember the date of the newsletter, now you can use the new Google Search of the site. Just choose a “keyword” that is unique to the subject and click search. It will come up with all the newsletters that have that word in the letter. Click Here to give it a try. Or go to the Archives button on www.cyclerides.com.

 

---

 

 

Cyclerides.com Westgate Bike Night: Now on Wednesday Nights!

Live Music by “Jacob Waltz Band”.

Petersen Johnson Accident Lawyers.
Petersen Johnson is a local Arizona law firm, whose attorneys have over 60 years of combined legal experience in Accident/Injury law and DUI/Criminal Defense law. We have substantial experience in representing riders injured in motorcycle accidents. Ron Petersen and Brad Johnson are involved in every injury case. We discount our fees; never our service. Please call us locally at 602-650-1200 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Arrowhead HD and Ridenow Powersports Your local Harley-Davidson dealership and proud sponsor of the Cyclerides.com/Westgate Bike Night. We are located just South of 83rd Ave. and Bell Rd. Stop to see the latest 2011 HD motorcycles and to pick up the new Cyclerides.com Westgate Bike Night T-Shirt. 623-247-5542.

Curly's Customs.
Curly's Customs is a full service Custom Paint & Body Shop for the motorcycle enthusiast. We refinish Harley Davidson and Metric motorcycles. Our goal is to provide high quality workmanship & materials at a very reasonable price. Curly's is located at 12030 N. 111th Ave. in Youngtown, AZ. 623- 977-0339. Stop by and see them at Bike Night.

Trask Performance. A full service shop specializing in high performance upgrades and dyno tuning. Let our team of professionals fulfill your performance needs and unlock your bike’s full potential. Motorcycle Builder and performance expert Nick Trask will be Featuring his turbo systems. This will be your opportunity to meet Nick and see how he can improve the performance of your bike. 21601 N. 3rd Ave. Suite D., Phoenix, AZ. 623-879-8470.

T.E.A.M Arizona Motorcycle Training - "T.E.A.M. Arizona is the premier motorcycle rider education organization in Arizona. We are dedicated to providing motorcycle education as a life-saving public service. Through our passionate coaches and staff, we strive to deliver a FUN, safe, and consistent motorcycling experience to riders of all backgrounds and skill level. T.E.A.M. Arizona is Your Road To Ride For Life."

 

Cyclerides.com Mesa Riverview Bike Night:

We will be doing 10 consecutive weeks at Mesa Riverview starting on Friday, September 16th and ending on November 18th. Event time 6-9 PM. I will also be programming theme nights at Riverview with Live Bands, Vendors and static displays including the best of Monster Trucks, Power Boats, Sand Rails, etc. for you to view. The Cyclerides.com Photo Gallery will also be back with some new photos from the archives and from our trip this year. For those of you on the East side, we are looking to bring you even more fun this season. Look forward to seeing you there. See Photos. If you would be interested in being a vendor contact me at info@cyclerides.com . Click Here for Details.

 

Live Music from “The Sal Carlino Band”.

Chester's Harley-Davidson - Your local Harley-Davidson dealer. See our display at Bike Night. Store location at 922 S. Country Club Dr. in Mesa, AZ. 480-894-0404

The Law Tigers - The Law Tigers are Arizona's Injury Lawyers Who Ride. We know bikes, riders, and the law. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, call 1-800-LAWTIGERS (529-8443) Visit www.lawtigers.com.

Ridenow Powersports. Valley wide locations for all of your ATV, Jet Ski and Motorcycle needs.

 

 

Saturday, October 29th

Buddy Stubbs 45th Anniversary Party. Join Buddy Stubbs Arizona Harley-Davidson in celebrating their 45th anniversary! They will have FREE food and drinks from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the dealership, as well as a guided museum tour with Buddy at 12:30. Back playing by popular demand is the band RIG, you definitely do not want to miss them jamming all of your favorite classics as well as a few newer ones. Following this, there will be photo opportunities with Buddy in addition to an escorted ride to the Buffalo Chip at 6 p.m. for dinner. Included with a $30 donation to the H.O.G. 93 Charities is a big Cowboy dinner plus a Buddy Stubbs H-D 45th anniversary limited edition tee shirt. For more information or to sign up for the ride call (602) 971-3400 or go to www.buddystubbshd.com.

 

Saturday, October 29th

Spooky Blues Mini-Fest. Join us for the 1st Semi-Annual Blues Mini-Fest from 2 PM – 10 PM at the Thunderbird Roadhouse located at 3549 W. Thunderbird Rd. in Phoenix, AZ. SW corner of 35th Ave. and Thunderbird. Enjoy the music of Blues Favorites including Leon J American Crossroads Blues Review, Juke Joint, Hans Olson Dirt Music Express, Scotty Spenner, Paris James and Sal Carlino & The Strayhounds. Special Bluses Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Jay Morton, AKA Leon J. There will also be Food Vendors, Bike Wash along with the Great Music all afternoon and evening. VIP after party. GA tickets $15 in advance, $20 day of show. VIP admission $35/$40. Call 602-439-6800 for tickets or pick up at The Roadhouse. Or get tickets online at www.minifestproductions.com .

 

Saturday, October 29th

The 5th Annual Anthony Holly Memorial Ride. Registration 7 AM – 9 AM at the 5 & Diner located at 7541 W. Bell Rd. for free coffee and a great breakfast special. This will also be your chance to get your raffle tickets for the Nolan N43 Trilogy helmet and the Glock 36, and the many other great auction items. With registration complete and your cool new shirt in hand, it's kickstands up at 9 AM. You'll travel just over 100 miles through some of the Valley's most scenic areas. There are plenty of stops in between to stretch your legs, wet your whistle, and snap photos of friends and nature too. There is a $25 per rider and $15 per passenger registration fee and proceeds benefit the children's charities of the Anthony Holly Foundation. You can register online and obtain the ride route information at www.AnthonyHollyFoundation.org. The ride is expected to be 3-4 hours long and will finish with a free trip through the buffet line at Pullano's.

 

 

Saturday, November 5th

Run to the Hills. Sponsored by American Legion Riders Post 58 in Fountain Hills. Registration from 8AM – 10AM. First Bike out at 10AM, Last Bike in 3PM. Start from 5 Valley Locations and end up at Post 58 for a party, home cooked food and live band. Preregistration at www.alr58.org with contribution of $10.00 Single, $15.00 2 Up or on site day of ride $15.00 Single, $20.00 2 Up. Start at any of the following locations: Post 26 Mesa, 506 W. 2nd St., Mesa, AZ, Post 27 Apache Junction,1018 S. Meridian Rd., Apache Junction, AZ, Post 39 Gilbert,206 N. Gilbert Rd., Gilbert, AZ, Post 58 Fountain Hills,16837 E. Parkview Av., Fountain Hills, AZ and Post 91 Chandler, 922 N. Alma School Rd., Chandler, AZ. All riders and vehicles welcome. Entry includes Home Cooked Meal and Band(Three Point Posse) at the end of the Run with Raffles, Prizes, and much fun. $100.00 Best Hand, $50.00 Worst Hand Prizes at 4:30P. Beard Contest, $5.00 entry fee and prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. Come and join us on our beautiful outdoor patio for food and adult beverages to compliment our wonderful AZ weather. For additional info call or e mail: Ken Couture, kdc314@msn.com, 480-220-1742.