Backcountry Pilot

[patrol guy offline]

...anyone been to this? I met a girl at Oshkosh that swears by it, (but she was a typical California left over hippie). Self claimed as the world's greatest fly-in. JG

http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/airport/

[Quail offline]

JG:
A number of us fly to the Burning Man festival. I've been flying there since 1999. About 100 airplanes land and camp on the playa, others land and drop off pax. There are some pic's in Zanes photo gallery of us there. You need a ticket to go into the city. Yes a city, of about 35,000 peeps!
PS: Was that Ramona, AKS Skychick? I was camped a few rows down from her at OSH last year.

[Zzz]

It's a fun time. It's an event that attracts a wide variety of people...some hippies, some pilots, some middle of the road vanilla folks, some post-Armageddon Mad Max wannabes, and Bob White.

Here's the 2005 thread.
http://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=177

I didn't go last year, partly because the tix are so expensive, and partly because I've had my fill for a few years.

[Zona offline]

Don't go if you are frightened by nude people.

However, Last year I was standing in the middle of the playa and thought, "My God this is like a good house party with art that goes on in every direction for a mile from this spot. A plus is the fire.......check out the pictures at ~Burningman.com~

My first year was 2001 when my friend tricked me into dropping them off and gifted me a ticket. Last two years I did engineering on the man, and was part of the crew that makes the man.

Last year I got a kiss and a hug from a movie star at the airport. She is really fun to talk with, and has come in her own SR-22. No one believes me however, oh well.

I'm also addicted to diet coke, so I'll be the guy with the soda up early, but not as early as Berk.

[patrol guy offline]

Bob- Yes it was Ramona. I was camped behind her at OSH. She packed a little motor scooter in her 206. She later sent me pictures of her and her tent blowing away at Burning Man. JG

[Quail offline]

Zane has a photo of Ramona and us in his 2005 BM gallery set. Burning Man is a lot of fun, 100 degrees plus days and near freezing nights with winds hitting over 70 MPH now and then. I usually fly out to go hot springing and drop in at Winemucca every few days. You can sign up for the aviators-list email BB on the Burning Man web page, the airport info is found in the "on playa" link. I wrote a few things to remember about flying in to BM which I repost every year. I'll also put them on BCP this year, closer to the event. Tickets are about $225 depending when you buy them. It really a wonderful event with some super-sized art works and a lot of interesting people.

[Berk offline]

...She packed a little motor scooter in her 206. .. JG

Burning Man is great: Landings are clothing optional. Everyone participates in some way (no one's just a spectator).

I met Ramona up at Priest Lake. She had so much stuff in that 206, when she opened the barn door in back, the stuff would cascade out onto the grass. She's perfect for flying - she doesn't weigh anything, so her turbo 206 lifts off & climbs like crazy, even when stuffed to the ceiling.

She's just one of the many interesting characters who make Burning Man their home for a week or so every year.

Enjoy, Berk

P.S. There were 126 planes tied down to the desert floor on Sat. nite '06

[onceAndFutr_alaskaflyer offline]

Oh no!!

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/ ... CTION=HOME

[Hammer offline]

Somewhat ironic that a festival celebrating individuality and free-spiritedness runs on a strict schedule for its climax...irony is unescapable.

[onceAndFutr_alaskaflyer offline]

...irony is unescapable.

And probably not lost on the perpetrator in this case, I'm sure.

[hotrod180 offline]

I've never been, but I'll betcha 99% of the naked people are physically unsuited (no pun intended) to be viewed thusly.
I'm kinda hesitant to have my plane amongst that many people running amok, esp when the word "burning" is part of the event's name.

Eric

[Zona offline]

Well I just got back from that crazy thing. Yes the man was burning by a guy who was off his meds with a road flare (A Lawyer.) The fool set fire to it when people were in the thing.........can you say jail time? Larry laughed after he found out no one was hurt, and was ok with it (he has lots of friends to help him out.)

So we build a second one that was better. It was like a family reunion, kind of fun to see all the old timers cutting wood and bending the glass.

It was a hell of a party.

Then we burned it.

The airport ran like clockwork, was REALLY busy, and the food was good. I think I gained weight. As for the women......you are right, they are all ugly so don't go, I'll take care of them for you (I have never been hit on so much in my life.)

Jeesh, I'm tired....have to take a nap now.

[Zzz]

I've never been, but I'll betcha 99% of the naked people are physically unsuited (no pun intended) to be viewed thusly.

While both ends of the spectrum are represented, the mean quality is pretty tolerable.

[Zona offline]

Looks ok to me.

[Zona offline]

Just a few this year with pure jets.

[Zona offline]

Up from the ashes.....evil people do not get over on us. Man number two.



Ya we can do it.

[Hammer offline]

While both ends of the spectrum are represented, the mean quality is pretty tolerable.

Is that Steve Fossett in the middle?

[Zona offline]

Ok, so my friend sees this rainbow and jumps on his bike. He and my friend erica ride like crazy for the end. One guy hits a dust trap in goes over the bars, denied! It started with like 20 people and ended at the rainbows end with five.......they dance around for a bit till.....my friend noticed a wishing well, a cone, with a hole in the top. He jams his hand inside of the cone and finds a bunch of quartz crystals, nice big ones. They all yell out....."we have found the gold at the end of the rainbow."


After coming back everyone in camp was mad at them for it. But they did not miss dinner.

Hee, the human race.

[onceAndFutr_alaskaflyer offline]

I've never been, but I'll betcha 99% of the naked people are physically unsuited (no pun intended) to be viewed thusly.

While both ends of the spectrum are represented, the mean quality is pretty tolerable.

Count me in for next year, I'll fly down the Alcan if necessary.

Prob is, if it is on BLM land, I'll have to temporarily turn in my Interior Law Enforcement Commission

[Zona offline]

http://www.scottlondon.com/photo/burningman2007/thumbnails.html

I'll be there....working I'm sure.