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Skydive Arizona Ride Review

The Third Saturday Ride for November had a huge turnout of 36 motorcycles and 42 members and guests meeting at the Chevron station at Loop 101 and Via de Ventura at 9:00 a.m. The morning was sunny with temperatures starting in the 50s and quickly getting into the 70s for an absolutely perfect riding day.

 Tom Clements, Ride Host, gave the pre-ride briefing and introduced the Lead/Sweep teams for the four groups: Tom and Bob Handelman, Don Morosic and Christian Belzunce, Phil Jensen and Tim Troy, and Jo Ricker with Chuck Knight. The groups departed beginning at 9:40 with about five minutes spacing between groups.

 The ride to the gas/bio stop in Coolidge was uneventful except that Group 1 was followed by a Pinal County Sheriff’s SUV all the way from Hunt Highway to the turn south at Coolidge, about 26 miles. All riders were on their best behavior. Perhaps that explains why Group 2 arrived at the station before Group 1 had finished parking!

 No Leads made a false turn nor got lost. Hurray!

 The good folks at the Bent Prop Saloon and Cookery took lunch orders and got the food out in a timely manner. The Dutch Army’s Skydiving Team was having a special lunch in the restaurant, so all BMMCers took their food out onto the patio or over to picnic tables by one of the landing zones. Those who were visiting the Eloy Airport for the first time were suitably impressed by the constant hum of activity: DeHavilland Twin Otters departing full of skydivers, the emptied planes landing, skydivers free-falling into sight and then pulling their D-rings to deploy the colorful canopies, and a variety of landings just feet away from the viewers. Of special interest was a fellow who was practicing a jump with a huge US flag trailing below him, getting ready for being one of the stars at the opening ceremonies of outside sporting events or airshows. He made a superb touchdown on his aiming spot right in front of us.

 Mahree Morin signed up for a tandem jump, hooked to an instructor, but before she launched a wind advisory was issued. (They stop the tandem jumps if the wind exceeds 20 knots.) Gutsy Mahree finally had the scrub her plans after the advisory remained in force for a couple of hours. Next time, Mahree? You go, girl!

 Tom led a group of riders back through Casa Grande and Maricopa to return to Phoenix.

 Special thanks not only to the Lead/Sweep teams but also to Leslie Jensen and others for taking the photographs.