A litte dirt...

[psmcn]

never hurts. I'm new here so I naturally check out the motorcycle post.

This is after a 300 mile dual sport in Va. and WVA in Oct, 2010.Riding an 01 Suzuki DR 650 that took quite a beating that weekend.


I've been riding for 35 years on and off road on numerous bikes of all make and models.

I am also an MSF safety instructor.

Ride safe, Ride Often

Paul

[M109Rrider]

Cool. I'm a Ridercoach too. I teach at Tidewater Community College in Va. Beach.

[psmcn]

They don't call them Ridercoaches here in Maryland, we are called safety instructors..I guess they just had to do their own thing. I've been teaching for 7 years now and I think it might be time to start teaching more advanced courses. I took the Total Control course this past spring and they had me just about dragging a knee off my Gold Wing. Man that was fun. I may apply for the instructors class.I would highly recommend the Total Control class for any experienced rider. It's little pricey, but well worth it if you apply the techniques. The class is all about throttle and brake control, before, during and after corning!!!

Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic

Paul

[F and E Damp]

Nice to see a motorcycle group within the Forums. I was big into bikes as a young 'un. I worked as a development and test engineer for Norton-Villiers in the UK, testing the Norton Commando street bike and AJS Stormer moto-cross and trail bikes.

When we came to the US, I adapted quite quickly to driving a car on the opposite side of the street, but a couple of brief runs on a friend's Triumph convinced me that street riding here was too hazardous. In a car, you have the visual cue that you're sitting on the opposite side. That's not there on a bike. With a wife and two youg children in a foreign land, I decided we didn't need a State Trooper showing up to tell her she was a widow.

There were then (and still are today), a lot of 80+ year-olds wandering about in their Coupe de Villes and Town Cars, completely oblivious to their surroundings.

[rockwood06]

Originally Posted by psmcn

never hurts. I'm new here so I naturally check out the motorcycle post.

This is after a 300 mile dual sport in Va. and WVA in Oct, 2010.Riding an 01 Suzuki DR 650 that took quite a beating that weekend.


I've been riding for 35 years on and off road on numerous bikes of all make and models.

I am also an MSF safety instructor.

Ride safe, Ride Often

Paul

So do you like these motorcycles, and by the way welcome to the forum.

[M109Rrider]

Everything we do in Va. is based off the MSF curriculum. We teach the Basic Rider Course and the Advanced Rider Course. We fall under Virgina Riding Trading Program under the DMV which allows us to issue a license after passing the class.

[psmcn]

Originally Posted by rockwood06

So do you like these motorcycles, and by the way welcome to the forum.

Awesome shot!!! I know just where that is as well. The one with the shuttle in the background is nice. When I have visitors in town I take them out to The National Air and Space Museum STEVEN F. UDVAR-HAZY CENTER. It's a great place to visit. I have a few friends that are or have been in motor here in Montgomery county. Are you in this pic? What department is that?

Paul

[psmcn]

Originally Posted by M109Rrider

Everything we do in Va. is based off the MSF curriculum. We teach the Basic Rider Course and the Advanced Rider Course. We fall under Virgina Riding Trading Program under the DMV which allows us to issue a license after passing the class.

Yup, same here. Maryland changed a few things to suit their licensing standards and the department head doesn't like the term Ridercoach. I like teaching the ERC but it is hard to get enough riders for a class. We really encourage new rider to come back and take the ERC but few ever do. To bad because most of them could use the skills practice on their own bike. I did not teach a single ERC last season because of lack of students. Only 1 or 2 signed up.

I have actually sold the wing and I'm focusing more on the dual sport stuff right now. I think I have had enough of the craziness of the distracted driver to feel safe riding in town. So I get out of town as quick a possible and hit the dirt roads and back county roads. If a deer gets me, so be it, thats fate in the woods. If a cell phone talking/texting, coffee drinking, newspaper reading, big mac eating Fill in the blank driver gets me I'm gonna be really pissed because they should know better then the deer does.

Paul

[rockwood06]

Originally Posted by psmcn

Awesome shot!!! I know just where that is as well. The one with the shuttle in the background is nice. When I have visitors in town I take them out to The National Air and Space Museum STEVEN F. UDVAR-HAZY CENTER. It's a great place to visit. I have a few friends that are or have been in motor here in Montgomery county. Are you in this pic? What department is that?

Paul

Well Paul, no i am not in the photo's, but i am sure i am in a lot of photo's that are taken by the visitors. This is my place of employment. As far as the department, I believe it is the VA state police special unit, but i will confirm that on Monday and correct this post if needed.
Now if you visit the museum after the first of the year you will be able to enter a brand new area, this is phase II. It is an additional 250,000 sq ft of the museum, it is the new Restoration Hanger. This addition will make the museum over 1,000,000,000 sq ft. Currently restoration is being done at the Garber Facility in Suitland Maryland all of that is moving to the Hazy Center very,very soon.
Visitor will be able to walk around a rised cat walk and look down and watch SI Employees working on restoring air craft that have been in storage.

You mention the Space Shuttle and as you know it is the Enterprise, the prototype to the real thing well, i have some news, i found out a few weeks ago that the Enterprise will be leaving the Hazy Center to make room for the Discovery Shuttle once it returns to earth and it is decommissioned.

If you or anyone else have any question about the Museum or artifacts please ask, if i don't have the answer i can get it in most cases.

I posted two pic, the first one is on the West side of the museum looking from the South looking at the side of the Space Hanger, the second pic is on the same side but looking South with the Space Hanger behind me, most of this area is the new 250,000 sq ft Restoration Hanger.
In the second pic you can see a small gray building that is setting by it self, this building is the C.U.P. or Central Utility Plant this is where our chillers and boilers are and is part of phase I.
With phase II just about complete the C.U.P. had a second story put on top of it and incorporated into the new addition. I have maney more pic from day one. I was there for one year while it was still under construction before the museum open on the 100 Year Anniversary of the Wright Brothers First Flght.

[KegStealer]

Rockwood06 what an amazing place to work. I just went for my second time this past September. I took my dad who is a retired pilot. He was a CW4 in the army and flew Huey's and Fixed wing aircraft. He then was a Sgt in the State Police and flew for them for many years but now is enjoying retirement. He thought the place was amazing and really enjoyed the TV presentations about the pilots. You all do a hell of a job with that place. The day I was there you were hosting about 20 to 30 World War 2 veterans. What a blast I had talking to them.

[psmcn]

ROckwood06, thanks or that info and what a great place to work!. In the hectic day to day stuff I would surely miss that info. I will make sure to come out and see the new exhibit, it sounds great. I'll be sure to look you up while I'm there.

Paul

[rockwood06]

Originally Posted by psmcn

ROckwood06, thanks or that info and what a great place to work!. In the hectic day to day stuff I would surely miss that info. I will make sure to come out and see the new exhibit, it sounds great. I'll be sure to look you up while I'm there.

Paul

Paul, you are welcome. If you what to find me I work 4/10 Monday through Thursday and off Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Contact me here on the forum before you come out.

At the museum there all ways special events going on and i try to post them here on the forum to let the members know what is happing so if they happen to be in the area they may like to stop in. I give notice prior to the events just in case they can make plans to come out.

We just had a big event for Halloween, it is called "AIR AND SCARE" we had over 35,000 people at the museum on that day.