Going to Hotter N'Hell in Wichita Falls

Sybren and Kathryn are standing on the apron at Sheppard Air Force Base in front of two trainers.

On Friday, Sybren and I drove to Wichita Falls to participate in the Hotter N' Hell Hundred (HHH100), one of the largest bike events in Texas. No, we didn’t ride the full 100 miles, but we did ride 50.

It was a perfect day for a bike ride.

The ride begins and ends at the convention center. Of course, finishing the ride always feels good. When we got back to the truck, it was 102 in the parking lot, but on the bike with the mild wind, it never felt too hot.

At the start of the ride, it is barely light.

By 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, nearly10,000 of us lined up on the streets of Wichita Falls. Our emcee played the Star-Spangled Banner. As soon as the singer belted out the last words “home---of the---brave” on cue, four T38s jet trainers flew in perfect formation screaming over the crowd of riders and bystanders. What a sight!

T38s fly over the at the start of the 43rd Hotter N'Hell 100 Bike ride on Saturday.

Wichita Falls is home to Sheppard Air Force base, one of the first stops in any young airman’s career. All the riders participating in the HHH100 go through the base. For us, it is

the highlight of the ride.

Cycling through the countryside, riders head towards Sheppard Air Force Base.

One of the rest stops is located on the base in an area called "the apron." We walk around looking at trainers, like T38s, fighters such as F-15, F-14s, gunships, a black hawk helicopter, the “terror of the skies” AC-130 gunships, and tank killers like the A-10.

The AC-130 nicknamed "the Terror of the Skies."

Many of the young Air Force officers were standing by their planes and talking to riders who were sipping pickle juice, eating oranges and bananas, basic staples of any well-run rest stop.

We met with Lt. Evan who worked on A-10s, nicknamed the Warthogs. He told us they were built during the Cold War for NATO defense of the Rhine land (Germany) should Russia ever invade Europe. He also told us that they were slated to be retired, meaning that they would not be used, after 2026. We wondered if this decision is shortsighted in light of recent events. They were still being deployed in Syria and Iraq as of last year. It is the only plane that can do what it does, i.e., destroy tanks and bunkers.

AC 10 with painted shark face clenching his cigar gun. The Warthog is the best tank killer and bunker buster in the Air Force.

Sometimes, the Air Force brings in airmen from foreign countries and trains them. We met such a young man whose name was Matthias from Norway. He had been at Sheppard Air Force base for about a year, and was training on the T38.  When I commented he had a biblical name, he grinned. “Yes, the apostle who replaced Judas,” he said.

We connected at that moment.

Both men hoped to pilot the F-15 one day. It is a long process of training to be able to reach that goal, but it was so encouraging to meet these young men who are our future defenders.

The highlight of our ride at the Sheppard Air Force Base was riding down the equivalent of “main street” called Airmen's Alley where about a hundred airmen and airwomen lined the roads to cheer us on. 

I have ridden the HHH100 many times, and each time, this is a thrilling moment to have our future heroes cheer an old lady and an old man riding a bicycle.

Airman's Alley is always so much fun. If you could only hear them, they are all whooping and hollerin.

There is something very special about that.

At the start of the Hotter N'Hell 100. You never know what the ride is going to be like. This year was great.

We will be back next year.

Thanks for reading! God has a beautiful plan for our life if we just listen.