To be a Club or not to be…that was the question!
The decision…we are NOT a Club!
This is because Motorcycle Clubs worldwide have very strict hierarchy and rules, such as who can or cannot wear back patches. They are, rightly, very proud of their clubs, as we are very proud of our airborne roots. Their first love is their bikes, our first love is our Airborne heritage, then our bikes. They are dedicated to their bikes whereas we enjoy our bikes.
So what are we?
We are an association of airborne veterans and their supporters who have casual, organised or annual rides.
We had years of being ordered, filed, indexed, cross reference, marched, grouped, posted and everything else. We are now “free” to do as we wish. You want to ride as a group…Ok. You want to ride alone…OK. You want to stay in a hotel…OK. You get the idea. We enjoy our bikes and getting together, on our bikes, for some good old fashioned comradeship.
That said, we have now become a Branch of the Parachute Regimental Association (not restricted to Regiment only but includes our brethren in the Corps and Attached Arms).
History of Airborne Forces Riders
The Airborne Forces Riders grew, organically, from rides that take place each year. Most notably of these was the Ride to the Wall, the annual ride to the National Arboretum, usually on the first Saturday in October, to pay respects to the fallen since WW2.
Add to this riding to Arnhem for the 70th Anniversary of the battle and you have the roots of the organisation.
On each of the rides we leave the responsibility for travel and accommodation to each rider, but, we publish on Facebook, and in future on this site, the details that some of us have agreed to ride as a group. It is then up to each rider whether they join us or meet us there. So far it has worked exceedingly well. Everyone does their own thing and then RVs for the ride itself.
Lately, we have had riders attend funerals as an escort and also visiting veterans who are not well, for whatever reason, to cheer them up. As time goes by we see this as an expanding and worthwhile part of the Airborne Forces Riders’ reason for existing.
Our motto
“Dum vivimus – equitare nos” or to put it in English…
“While we live – we ride”
