Burning Man

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PA31T2

Filing Flight Plan
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PA31T2
I have a question that as made me curious. Why do pilots fly their airplanes out to burning man? From what I have heard the dust out there is highly corrosive and gets into everything. Why would people who have invested money into expensive assets take their planes into an environment that could end up eating the plane from the inside out. My father has a couple of classic cars that he refuses to park under a certain tree at home because it drips a sap and he will not allow that to happen to his paint job that he spent time and money on. I would think if you took pride into your hobby no matter if it is classic cars or expensive airplanes that you would try to limit the exposure when possible. I find it strange that people would take something worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and then fly it into a known highly corrosive environment that a simple wash when you get home is not going to remove that dust from all the little crevices that it got into.
Just curious....
 
It beats trekking in on land vehicles. Not everybody feels the same way you do about their aircraft. For some it's just a conveyance. These days a lot of these arrivals are just dropoffs.

A while back they were looking for an airport operator. Having tons of experience from Oshkosh and other flyins, I applied. Didn't get it.
 
flyingron said:
It beats trekking in on land vehicles. Not everybody feels the same way you do about their aircraft. For some it's just a conveyance. These days a lot of these arrivals are just dropoffs.

A while back they were looking for an airport operator. Having tons of experience from Oshkosh and other flyins, I applied. Didn't get it.
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A friend of mine got the gig last year. They seemed to be having fun until the rain came and everyone got stranded.
She was giving me the play by play updates out there the conditions sounded horrible. Someone invited me to go this year but as much as I would love to see a full on acid trip of a circus, I don't think I would want to stay out there for more than a couple ours before I would want to go back to suburbia.
 
My plane partner (now having hung up his wings) took our Warrior to Burning Man at least twice. Might have been three times. Even with a plane cover, cowl plugs, and bubble wrap stuffed in the cowl gap, dust got everywhere. It was as fine as flour and we found it in various nooks and crannies after his last trip. I wasn't thrilled about it, but he is a friend of 50 years and he enjoyed the event until he didn't.

If you go, bring a plane cover and rolls of wide, blue painter's tape. BEFORE putting on the cover, tape over the wing vents, the cowl seals, the wing roots, plug the tail cone, and cover ANY seam no matter how small. Use a bottle of water to rinse the windscreen BEFORE applying the plane cover. Consider covering the windscreen with plastic wrap Immediately after rinsing.
 
PA31T2 said:
I have a question that as made me curious. Why do pilots fly their airplanes out to burning man? From what I have heard the dust out there is highly corrosive and gets into everything. Why would people who have invested money into expensive assets take their planes into an environment that could end up eating the plane from the inside out. My father has a couple of classic cars that he refuses to park under a certain tree at home because it drips a sap and he will not allow that to happen to his paint job that he spent time and money on. I would think if you took pride into your hobby no matter if it is classic cars or expensive airplanes that you would try to limit the exposure when possible. I find it strange that people would take something worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and then fly it into a known highly corrosive environment that a simple wash when you get home is not going to remove that dust from all the little crevices that it got into.
Just curious....
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It might be worth it...depending on who is in the orgy dome.
 
Domenick said:
My plane partner (now having hung up his wings) took our Warrior to Burning Man at least twice. Might have been three times. Even with a plane cover, cowl plugs, and bubble wrap stuffed in the cowl gap, dust got everywhere. It was as fine as flour and we found it in various nooks and crannies after his last trip. I wasn't thrilled about it, but he is a friend of 50 years and he enjoyed the event until he didn't.

If you go, bring a plane cover and rolls of wide, blue painter's tape. BEFORE putting on the cover, tape over the wing vents, the cowl seals, the wing roots, plug the tail cone, and cover ANY seam no matter how small. Use a bottle of water to rinse the windscreen BEFORE applying the plane cover. Consider covering the windscreen with plastic wrap Immediately after rinsing.
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Good for him. I think these are bucket list items, enjoy them while you can.
 
It serves partly as a traveling tool for some. You can preserve it for your estate or the next buyer, which is saving some equity, or you can use it for fun while you’re alive. No different than eating good food, smoking good cigars, drinking good drink, or wasting it in other similar ways. But YMMV, as it should, we’re all different.
 
I think I've stated this before, but for me flying an airplane into Burning Man seems like an oxymoron. At least from what I think Burning Man is supposed to represent anyway.
 
Pilotsnowden said:
I used to be a regular attendee. I went primarily to be free spirited and express myself in ways I cannot outside of it. Being able to be naked with a lot of attractive women and even be sexual is an amazing experience and feeling. I’ve had many good experiences in the orgy dome with my girlfriend. If you enjoy art, sex and feeling liberated you’d love it.
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You'll love Rough River.
 
Shepherd said:
Yeah. We've all met traveling tools and their airplanes. and a lot of us don't get anywhere near the desert.

:cool:
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Wait… no, I haven’t met ALL y’all…

Here’s me, traveling Tools…CD946D58-1E87-40C0-83EB-F0D479C07695.jpeg
 
Didn't one rain seize the place up last year? So much mud no vehicles could move for days.
I wouldn't want to be trapped anywhere because of one rain cloud.
 
I decided to get in the spirit and listen to Burning Man Information Radio a little today. Yep, some spirits are free, others are just wacko. I did learn a new term: California Sober.

I am pretty sure 1998 was the last time I flew over the playa. Back then I wanted free spirits to hear the sound of freedom :rockon:. So today, needing to exercise the plane a bit, I decided to head that way. My, the place really is a city.

Burners.jpg
 
I remember reading a few years ago about a couple who flew into Burning Man in their AN-2, which was set up as a flying camper. Now THAT'S the way to fly into BM, a very Mad Max vibe.
 
Pilotsnowden said:
I used to be a regular attendee. I went primarily to be free spirited and express myself in ways I cannot outside of it. Being able to be naked with a lot of attractive women and even be sexual is an amazing experience and feeling. I’ve had many good experiences in the orgy dome with my girlfriend. If you enjoy art, sex and feeling liberated you’d love it.
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Sounds like that one semester I spent in the coed dorm....until it was discovered I was not a student...
 
flyingron said:
It beats trekking in on land vehicles. Not everybody feels the same way you do about their aircraft. For some it's just a conveyance. These days a lot of these arrivals are just dropoffs.
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None of the private flights are drop offs. The only drop offs are by the official charter operation.
 
Lots of comments here from people who speak with apparent authority despite never having been. I can say with certainty that most of y'all wouldn't enjoy it. But a lot of people do, many of them pilots. Some fly in just because it's a much more convenient mode of transportation. Some fly in and give sightseeing rides as gifts. And there are plenty of cars on the playa worth more than most of the airplanes.
 
Lindberg said:
None of the private flights are drop offs. The only drop offs are by the official charter operation.
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Yeah, so? This year there are a lot of chater drop offs it appears.
 
flyingron said:
Yeah, so? This year there are a lot of chater drop offs it appears.
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They're all BxA flights, which doesn't appear to be what the thread is about since the OP asked about pilots flying their own planes.
 
PA31T2 said:
I have a question that as made me curious. Why do pilots fly their airplanes out to burning man? From what I have heard the dust out there is highly corrosive and gets into everything. Why would people who have invested money into expensive assets take their planes into an environment that could end up eating the plane from the inside out. My father has a couple of classic cars that he refuses to park under a certain tree at home because it drips a sap and he will not allow that to happen to his paint job that he spent time and money on. I would think if you took pride into your hobby no matter if it is classic cars or expensive airplanes that you would try to limit the exposure when possible. I find it strange that people would take something worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and then fly it into a known highly corrosive environment that a simple wash when you get home is not going to remove that dust from all the little crevices that it got into.
Just curious....
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Because it’s cool
To say you’ve done it
Avoid all the traffic on the roads
 
Pilotsnowden said:
You’d be surprised, in all of my experiences, most people take things serious when it comes to being safe and having safe sex with other people. You are required to wear a condom, at least with every encounter I was involved in. The worst thing that’s ever occurred was a urinary tract infection and I’m quite sure it was not the result of any sexual activity. If you’re safe about it, I would not worry too much.
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I mean, it IS called BURNING man.......
 
Come on, the dust isn't like alien blood. It's not going to dissolve your airframe as you watch. I've been to Burning Man once and High Sierra Fly-in a couple of times (same dust) Still here and so is my airplane. I suppose if you kept it hermetically sealed in a climate controlled hangar it would last longer but nobody would ever get to enjoy it so what's the point? It's like when people buy a new car with a cool-ass dashboard and cover it with a piece of carpet. Sure it gets protected but you never get to SEE it. All you get to see is a dusty old chunk of carpet.
 
Pilotsnowden said:
…those of us who have been heavily involved in the liberal arts find that it’s the best place for expression.
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As someone who has been, and continues to be “involved in the liberal arts,” and who has been to the playa, I disagree. Unless you remove “best place” and replace it with “a place.” But then again, subjectivism is a prime element of liberal arts, so anyone, or no one, can say what’s best.

Oh, and I’d never fly MY airplane to the playa. At least, not on purpose.
 
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Roger Wilco said:
As someone who has been, and continues to be “involved in the liberal arts,” and who has been to the playa, I disagree. Unless you remove “best place” and replace it with “a place.” But then again, subjectivism is a prime element of liberal arts, so anyone, or no one, can say what’s best.

Oh, and I’d never fly MY airplane to the playa. At least, not on purpose.
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Gotta love a discipline where you’re always right or never right, unless you are. Makes perfect sense.

If you’re stoned out of your mind.
 
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