Burning Man is coming up again. Anyone flying into 88NV this year?

I've been a few times and even said I wasn't going back. There is always a reason to go and tickets happen.



There was a shakeup in the airport management so I am flying in again. Still a paperwork invasive cluster to go. It's a lot of effort to get dusty.

Yeah - I always figured I'd fly in to burning man one of these years but... the dust... holy cow. I know people that have ruined their cars with the playa dust. How bad does it get for planes? Dirty is fine, but I worry a bit about rust blowing up avionics or engines or something. What's your experience been?

The dust is really hit or miss. The first two years I flew in you couldn't even tell I went to the desert. And I flew every day while there and gave a lot of flights. However, one day with a good dust storm and I had 1/4" of fine alkaline powder everywhere. My doors and windows were closed, but I don't have the tightest cabin either. The picture doesn't do it justice.

Blue tape and cowl plugs do a good job of keeping the dust out. That dust is very difficult to clean up, soap doesn't work.

All my avionics are low tech and I don't pretend to have a show plane. I still need to wash some dried up cow pies off the tail. With that said, a lot of beautiful planes with panels five times the cost of my plane do show up.

I made it back from Burning Man 2017. Had a lot of fun and gifted a lot of rides. I estimate about 130-140 GA planes tied down this year. I hear about 10,000 flew in on charters.

A few takeaways for anyone considering flying in next year or haven't in a while and plan to again. The reputation as being the most dangerous airport in the world has been reinforced. I know of at least 5 planes that didn't make it home unscathed including a Mooney gear up, a glassaire rupturing a fuel tank in a taxi incident, a Citabria cartwheeling on a supply run, a 140 ground looping on the way home, and the FAA temporarily grounding a plane for a paperwork issue. Well the last one the the pilot noticed he was one day past annual and felt compelled to spend a half day tracking down FAA on the field for advice. They wouldn't let several A&P perform the annual on field because of the possibility that the spotty internet would not allow a check of AD compliance.

Yes, the FAA is in active force throwing their weight around on the field. I know several pilots ramp checked this year for no reason other then they were there. The FAA was even overheard berating the Unicom for not issuing orders to arriving aircraft. Remember it's an uncontrolled field. FAA also demanded changes to the taxiway scheme to comply with a typical class B paved runway. You could only exit at the end. This demand nearly caused some collisions. During the gear up landing only one runway was in use. Arriving aircraft taxing back were in constant white outs from departing aircraft and the single taxiway served both departing and arriving aircraft at the threshold with no way around. Just a stupid design and mandate.

Forget about a naked greeting when you land. It's all "Papers please" from high vis vest wearing grumpy types. Basically like arriving at an unfriendly fly in now. All charter centric.

That said I had a blast this year. Probably going back.

[imgcaption][/imgcaption]Reviving an old thread. Many have expressed interest in flying to Burning Man. Planning has started for many. Watch this before you decide.

https://youtu.be/Ysc3NIMoO7E

Always bring and use good tie downs in the desert - any desert.

Also bring condoms, Harvoni for Hepatitis C, and a good antibacterial soap.

Last flew there in 2009. Sounds like some things have changed since then. Bet there is still some fun to be had.

Well 2018 may be a disappointment. They are trying to bring in 220 passengers an hour! Fees for fly in are going up. You have to pay to re-enter if you go to the hot springs now, or get fuel in Winimucca. There have been many changes in management that could quite possibly be not for the better. A bunch of us are passing this year, instead going to Afrikaburn. For many of us that volunteered to work at the airport hate to see the way its going. I used my last free ticket last year and will not be volunteering again, I turned my credentials in.

Good time still to be had, just too much hassle, drug dogs on the camping area (my bud got dogged twice, wasting a couple of hours of his time) and a pattern that is increasingly a bit risky. Heck, both pilots from Burning Sky, the skydivers are passing as well.

If you have not gone, try it. For those of us who have gone a lot, it has become a different scene. Regional burns are becoming more attractive, like the one in Utah. Cheaper, smaller and more fun. Not a colossal frat party. Your milage may vary and hopefully it is a good experience.

Good time still to be had, just too much hassle, drug dogs on the camping area (my bud got dogged twice, wasting a couple of hours of his time) and a pattern that is increasingly a bit risky.

WTH 'drug dogs'??