VAF Forums - RV to Burning Man

People tracking me via APRS seemed to have a bit of interest in why I was landing out on a dry lake bed in the middle of nowhere, Nevada. Here is a brief report on my trip to Burning Man.

Some people on the other thread seemed a bit unfamiliar with this event, so I can attempt to describe it, though it's not easy. Lots of people from every background imaginable come for many different reasons. There's lots of partying, lots of unconventional artwork, lots of interesting people to meet, and lots of amazing homebuilt technology (making it a natural destination for RV builders : ) To call it an experiment in community, art, and survival in a harsh environment would not be too far from the mark.

Roughly 50,000 people come out, many from California, but also from around the world. There's no food, water, or shelter provided. The weather is brutal, getting there is difficult, and tickets are expensive. All this tends to discourage day-trip spectators.

So, on to the trip report. Packing for 4+ days in the desert in an RV is not easy, but it is possible. Water is the biggest challenge, at 1.5 gallons a day you need 7 gallons at an absolute minimum. So that's a 7 gallon = 56 pound water tank from REI in the passenger seat (for CG reasons), tent and Fly-Ties strapped under my legs on the forward cabin floor, and everything else in the back. I had a bit of room and payload to spare, maybe even enough for a folding bike...maybe next year.

I launched from San Jose, CA early on Wednesday morning, and had no idea so many people were following along on APRS. (track link) I went up to 11.5 in search of more favorable winds, but fought headwinds the whole way. The air was glassy smooth though, visibility unlimited, and the RV was running great. At 13K+ DA, I used my new O2 bottle for the first time in flight and was happy to avoid the headache I usually get at such altitudes. In no time I was over the top of the Sierras and looking down on Reno.

After Reno, the terrain changes from all-green to all-brown. And then the occasional florescent white of dry lake beds, which largely pointed the way to my destination. The dry lakes in the area are remnants of one large prehistoric lake that spanned much of western Nevada, and Burning Man takes place toward the center of it.

Upon reaching another lakebed, a quick glance to my right showed a large round spot in the middle:

Sightseeing and landing procedures are clearly documented, and I took one scenic lap before coming around to land.

Landing on the rutted and loose runway was plenty bouncy but uneventful. Soft-field technique is obviously mandatory. I got in pretty early, so the unicom operator was unclear on where they wanted me to park. After pulling off the runway, I made the mistake of coming to a stop in the middle of this:

...and was stuck. (There is a top layer of crust then 2-5 inches of fine dust below that.) I gave it about 2000 rpm, and then started wondering what was going on with my (new-design) nosegear and fairing. I shut down and found neatly formed "chocks" of dust in front of each wheel. I cleared them out by hand and was able to proceed.

Once parked I was in a hurry to get the airplane tied down, secured from dust, and tent pitched. This place is famous for sudden duststorms with gusts over 70 mph. My Fly-Ties grabbed even this soft surface very convincingly, and a bunch of blue masking tape had the airplane sealed up from the dust in no time.

There's a very nice "terminal building" and a shaded lounge right there at the airport. When I first arrived, the lounge was populated only by two barely-clothed women looking for scenic rides, though during peak flying hours there were often dozens of people about. I had to tell them that I didn't think I could give any rides because of the poor conditions (I hadn't yet inspected the fairings for damage) -- they didn't have to wait long for some other pilot to take them up.

The airport is about a half-mile from the outer edge of the city, and another half-mile to the center of the action. Frequently I was able to hitch a ride on the skydiving camp's art car, a large van costumed as a jump plane, complete with twin props and folding wings, with passengers largely riding on the roof. There were also usually loaner bikes available.

continued in next post...