AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2016 - 70

OUTLANDISH ART CARS such as the fire-spewing, arm-waving,

eye-popping octopus (bottom left) patrol the playa day and
night. The temporary city is carefully and logically laid out in a
semi-circle: population 70,000. Admission tickets can be hard
to find and are mostly purchased through an annual
online lottery (http://tickets.burningman.org).

he semicircular speck on the desert floor below could be
a mirage. From 20 nautical miles, it's visible one moment,
then partially obscured by shifting plumes of wind-driven
dust the next. Jarring turbulence over the mountains of northern
Nevada and late-afternoon glare don't make identifying it any easier. At 10 miles, however, the distinctive outline of Black Rock City
comes into focus-and our aircraft radio lets us know of charter King
Airs, Caravans, and other general aviation aircraft coming and going
at an airport that, for this hectic week, is unlike any other on Earth.
Black Rock City Municipal Airport (88NV) exists for one purpose: to support the massive counterculture Burning Man festival,
which draws about 70,000 people to this inhospitable dry lake
bed for a week of exuberant partying that culminates in the fiery
destruction of a series of massive wooden art structures. Then the
airport, like Burning Man itself, disappears without a trace-only to
reconstitute itself in even greater extravagance the following year.
Making 88NV work for the roughly 120 pilots who fly in and
camp during the event, as well as a dozen Part 135 charter operators whose mostly turboprop fleets make about 500 arrivals and
departures-and the skydiving crews that drop scores of jumpers-
depends on an international crew of volunteer "burners." Some,
such as "Air Commander" Sheila "Avi8rix" McCombe, a Canadian
national who works as an air traffic controller in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates, are aviation professionals with decades of handson experience. Others have no formal aviation training but years of
on-the-job experience and a deep devotion to the event.
"This is a real airport that only exists because of the hard work
of volunteers who love aviation, art, and self-expression," said

If you go

One of the Burning Man core values is "radical self-reliance," and that's especially true
for pilots.
There are many rules and procedures
to learn, online forms to fill out, and preparations to make for protecting your airplane in the
harsh desert. There's no avgas for sale at the event,
no tie-downs, and no FBO, so plan accordingly. The
dirt runways are rolled and surprisingly smooth, but the
ramp area is uneven with soft sand and holes, so pilots of fixed-gear
airplanes should consider removing wheel fairings in advance.
Once on the ground, painters' tape is invaluable for blocking air
vents, door seals, and even static ports from inescapable dust. Also,
most aircraft owners avoid using airplane covers at Burning Man
because they tend to do more harm than good. High wind can drive
dust underneath the covers and the shifting canvas can rub it against the
airplane exterior like sandpaper. http://airport.burningman.org -DMH

70 | AOPA PILOT March 2016

McCombe, 51, who covers the airport's many acres on an electric
scooter. "We're like-minded people who put in incalculable numbers of volunteer hours throughout the year. Then we come out
here, band together, and overcome obstacles."
And there are many obstacles.
Extreme heat commonly raises density altitudes at 88NV to
more than twice its actual 3,900-foot elevation. Strong winds create dusty whiteouts almost every afternoon. Even small amounts of
rain can turn the powdery, talcum-like alkaline surface into pasty,
impassible goo. And the airport must comply with myriad regulations from both the FAA and the Bureau of Land Management, the
agency that manages the federal land on which the event takes place.
ARRIVAL. Burning Man is all about nonconformity-but flying into
88NV requires agreeing to an eye-glazing 32 pages of airport rules.
There's an online manifest to fill out, a 30-question online test to pass
(with a minimum acceptable score of 90 percent), event tickets to
buy (starting at $390 each), and $40 cash to hand over upon arrival.
AOPA Photographer Chris Rose and I met all the prearrival
requirements, and we also agreed to an incredibly restrictive set of
media credential requirements. So, after a 2.5-hour flight from Salt
Lake City in a Van's RV-10, I feel prepared when I check in on the
multicom frequency and report our intention to land-along with
the added proviso that we have the required "documents on board."
A gravelly voiced airport "uni-commander" (short for unicom
commander) quickly grants that permission.
As we approach the airport, however, I fail to spot the Frog Pond
reporting point, or either of the two runways (25 Left for landing,
and 25 Right for takeoff ). I do see an actual pond to the west and
turn in that direction. But based on the pond's position relative to
Black Rock City, I soon realize that it can't be the Frog Pond.
Just then a departing King Air begins its takeoff roll, kicking up
a 100-foot-tall rooster tail on Runway 25 Right. I enter the pattern
on a left crosswind and immediately run afoul of authorities who
instruct me to meet with "Tazz" after landing.
Rose, who has been reading up on Burning Man and its 10 core
principles, chides me for testing the "radical inclusion" concept
before we've even touched down at the event. "You're already a
pariah," he says. "That didn't take long."
We touch down on the unpaved but surprisingly smooth arrival
runway using the soft-field, no-braking technique recommended by
the organizers; roll to the end; and call the "Ramp Dog" for a place
to tie down and camp. We're told to pick any open spot among the
80 or so airplanes already tied down.
I'm embarrassed by my arrival blunder, but my priority once we
shut down is protecting our airplane from the elements. I brought
sheets of plastic to cover the exterior, as well as masking tape for
every vent, seam, and fairing-and cowl plugs to block the air intakes.

http://tickets.burningman.org http://airport.burningman.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2016