4/9/2024 0 Comments Add scenery to flightgear![]() ![]() He races motocross, and when he graduates from college, he’ll have zero debt. He’s a full-time student with his own lawn-mowing business on the side. Dillon’s part-time job with the Air National Guard has him working one weekend a month and two weeks a year. At 20 years old, Dillon maintains F-16 fighter jets while the Air National Guard (along with funding from the State of Alabama) is covering all of his college tuition. Dillon and Randy battle on the track and, ironically, Dillon is actually a Crew Chief working part-time at the Air National Guard’s 187th Fighter Wing at Dannelly Field, the same base where Randy used to be the Wing Commander. Dillon met Randy when he recognized the Air Force-themed graphics with the nickname “Juicy Boy” on Randy’s radiator shrouds at a local race. He brought his riding gear, too, and we kicked off our trip by riding two-strokes with the General, his son Ethan and fellow racer Dillon Luttrel at the Efferson compound. MXA’s Trevor Nelson joined me to capture the action of our five-day experience in Alabama. Jody’s father was part of the Eighth Air Force, and this sparked the connection Randy felt to MXA, prompting an invite for the ride of a lifetime. Its flexible, conventional and nuclear deterrence mission delivers the capability to deploy forces and engage enemy threats anywhere, any time. Its mission is to safeguard America’s interests through strategic deterrence and global combat power with long-range nuclear-capable bomber assets. With its motto, “Peace Through Strength,” the Mighty Eighth is designated as U.S. MXA has been running “ MXA Air Force” stickers on our bikes for years as a tribute to the Eighth Air Force. “WALKING AROUND THE BASE WITH THE FORMER WING COMMANDER WAS LIKE WALKING AROUND AT A SUPERCROSS WITH TRAVIS PASTRANA.” ![]() He piloted KC135 refueling tankers as well as C-7 Caribou planes and C5 Cargo planes (the largest plane in the Air Force). My grandpa Tom flew “heavies” in Vietnam and continued to serve afterwards. Travis’ dad is a Vietnam Navy vet who sailed on a minesweeper (the smallest ship in the Navy), and he has many combat action ribbons. Our videographer Travis Fant’s grandfather was also a Colonel who enlisted the day after Pearl Harbor and flew in World War II. Jody’s father flew 25 combat missions in a B-17 bomber over Germany in WWII and flew KC97 and KC135 refueling tankers for the next 25 years before retiring as a Colonel. The MXA wrecking crew has strong ties to the U.S. Now, after becoming a General, Randy’s fighter jet flying days are over (he still has a private plane), and now he’s back on two wheels getting his adrenaline fix racing dirt bikes with his 17-year-old son Ethan. He continued to follow the sport and read MXA through the years, although he had to quit riding himself when he became a fighter pilot. Randy first got into riding when he was a kid, and he started reading Motocross Action magazine back in the 1970s. ORIGINALLY, OUR ONLY OBJECTIVE WAS TO FLY IN AN F-16, SO BEING ABLE TO RIDE WHILE IN ALABAMA WAS A BONUS.”Īlthough the General is a high-ranking officer and has many major awards and decorations, he is also just like you and me-he loves racing motorcycles. “IT WAS A LONG FLIGHT FROM SOCAL TO ALABAMA BUT A SHORT RIDE FROM THE GENERAL’S HOUSE THROUGH SOME WOODS TO GET TO HIS PRIVATE TRACKS.
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