A look at Johnny Airtime
Johnny Airtime has proven again and again that he is among the top ramp to
ramp motorcycle jumpers in the world.
Johnny Airtime was raised the son of an Air Force fighter pilot. While his
father was stationed in Germany, eight year old Johnny Airtime spent time in the
library, and there he found a book about a motorcycle jumper. His destiny was
born.
At fourteen he finally convinced his parents that he was serious. After
routinely destroying the world record ramp to ramp jump on bicycles, his
parents, Roger and Lorene, tentatively bought Johnny his first motorcycle. Three
months later he began racing motocross. At sixteen, he turned pro after earning
the #1 position in points in the 250 Expert class in the Las Vegas Motocross
Club. He raced motocross professionally across the country and overseas, winning
state, regional (Grand National Championship of the Southern Region, 250
Expert), national (Philippine National Championship) and international (Asia
500cc Championship) titles.
The heart of Johnny's background is in motocross. The tighter and more
technical, the better. The rougher, the better. The hotter, or colder, the
better. Motocross is his first love, but through it all he had full intentions
of jumping motorcycles ramp to ramp.
Johnny was in the Air Force for four years. During that time, he won awards
such as "Airman of the Year", promotions below the zone, and numerous
other accolades. He rewrote the entire motorcycle safety program at Dyess AFB
and became the Chief of Motorcycle Safety, instructing motorcycle safety
instructors and everyone stationed at the base. He won the West Texas Series
too. In 1984, he performed his first ramp to ramp jump on a Honda CR250 in
Abilene, Texas, leaping 100 feet over an 18 wheeler lengthwise.
3,000 jumps later, he found himself on a two hour live television special
called Live! The World's Greatest Stunts. Johnny Airtime rode a
modified Honda CR500 motorcycle 80 miles per hour down the railroad tracks in a
head-on collision course with a three car passenger train 180 feet long and 17
feet high. His launch ramp was right between the railroad tracks. Half a
second after he got airborne, the train destroyed the launch ramp and Johnny
landed safely 180 feet later on a landing ramp beyond the far end of the train.
Johnny Airtime's world famous train jump earned him the "Stunt of the
Year" award.
Six months later, however, he found himself face to face with the most
challenging jump of his life on The World's Greatest Stunts III.
Two 18 wheelers traveled down the highway, one closely following the other. The
truck in front pushed the landing ramp down the highway. The truck
following closely behind pulled the launching ramp behind it. Johnny's
task was to catch them from behind, ride up the moving launching ramp,
and jump the two 18 wheelers end to end as they traveled down the highway
away from him. He conquered his greatest foe.
Then he was called again to perform on Stuntmasters. Johnny
Airtime traveled down the road on his Honda CR500 motorcycle alongside a 20 foot
box van at 55 miles per hour. He hit a launching ramp which was in the road.
While he was twenty feet in the air, Greg Brickman, driving the truck, performed
an S-turn, drove underneath the airborne jumper, and Johnny landed 120 feet
later in the bull's eye of the target painted on the breakaway roof.
Then The Ultimate Challenge gave Johnny another shot at an
incredible jump. Johnny Airtime jumped his motorcycle over the spinning blades
of four helicopters to set a new world record in perfect form.
Johnny jumped again on Guinness World Records:
Primetime to beat his own world record for the biggest transfer. He rode
his Honda CR500 alongside a 20 foot box van at 60 mph. He accelerated away from
the front bumper of the box van and hit a launch ramp. When he left the launch
ramp, he was 15 feet ahead of the truck. Rick Seaman, the driver, maintained 60
mph throughout the maneuver and turned left around the launch ramp, then right,
and caught up to and passed the airborne jumper underneath. Johnny Airtime landed on the
breakaway roof of
the box van 135 feet out.
Johnny jumped 120 feet rooftop to rooftop, seven stories above the ground,
from the Mint Hotel & Casino to the Horseshoe Hotel & Casino in Las
Vegas, Nevada.
Johnny Airtime has executed 4,350 ramp to ramp jumps over 100 feet during his
career with no crashes - the best safety record in ramp to ramp motorcycle
jumping.
His six week motocross racing schools have produced motocrossers
who have won state, national and world titles.
Johnny works in the motion picture industry as a professional stuntman. He is
a member of two unions, SAG (Screen Actors Guild) and AFTRA (American Federation
of Television and Radio Artists).