Burning Man, the massive art and culture festival in the Nevada desert, has always had an aviation angle (including an airport with a tower staffed by ATC volunteers) but the ostentatious gathering of dissimilar minds took that to a new level this year. The fuselage of a Boeing 747, minus the empennage, was towed to the gathering site, known as Black Rock City, last week and will serve as a “mobile art cart” with a bar and lounge inside. The top of the upper deck has been cut away to provide an open-air lounge area. And since it can be moved around, the old Jumbo Jet is also considered an “official mutant vehicle.” It took a coordinated effort by police and utility companies to get the hulk to the desert and some Burning Man devotees think it’s a bit much.
According to the Reno Gazette Journal, the aircraft is regarded by some as “exactly what people say makes Burning Man into an event full of excessive capitalism.” But others claim it plays into the hands of critics of the annual event. “I love Burning Man. And I hate this. It’s absurd,” one fan posted in a comment on Facebook.”And not in a good way. Ammunition for the folks who are down on the event for being a self-indulgent festival for tech bros with more money than sense.”
