This year, I took my friend Arturo to BM, and since I had a fair amount of RC gear to bring, and things I wasn't able to get ready in time for my other friends, Helen and Brian, who drove there week early and took our bulky things, the plane was reasonably full volume-wise with 2 people.
As opposed to last year where it ended up being a one way trip with an engine out landing, this year was pretty uneventful :)
After some successful RC flights last year, I worked almost all year on improving the design and safety measures further in my RC planes, brought a new one this year with better video resolution (4K), and got some great footage shown on this page.
Here is a direct google photos link of most of the flight, airport, and BRC from the sky.
And do not miss my Main Burning Man 2016 report
Pictures of the flight, around 1h45:
![it had been 10 years since I last took 5302N to BM, nice to be reunited :) it had been 10 years since I last took 5302N to BM, nice to be reunited :)](/blogimg/00/thumb1024_100_PAO_to_BRC.jpg)
it had been 10 years since I last took 5302N to BM, nice to be reunited :)
![](/blogimg/06/thumb1024_106_PAO_to_BRC.jpg)
![Mt Diablo Mt Diablo](/blogimg/09/thumb1024_109_PAO_to_BRC.jpg)
Mt Diablo
![Alpine Maedows Alpine Maedows](/blogimg/27/thumb1024_127_PAO_to_BRC.jpg)
Alpine Maedows
![Squaw Valley Squaw Valley](/blogimg/31/thumb1024_131_PAO_to_BRC.jpg)
Squaw Valley
![Northstar Northstar](/blogimg/35/thumb1024_135_PAO_to_BRC.jpg)
Northstar
![Truckee Airport Truckee Airport](/blogimg/44/thumb1024_144_PAO_to_BRC.jpg)
Truckee Airport
![Reno International Reno International](/blogimg/48/thumb1024_148_PAO_to_BRC.jpg)
Reno International
![Reno Stead, where the Reno Air Races take place Reno Stead, where the Reno Air Races take place](/blogimg/50/thumb1024_150_PAO_to_BRC.jpg)
Reno Stead, where the Reno Air Races take place
![Pyramid Lake Pyramid Lake](/blogimg/54/thumb1024_154_PAO_to_BRC.jpg)
Pyramid Lake
And finally we made it to Black Rock:
![](/blogimg/03/thumb1024_203_BRC.jpg)
![](/blogimg/10/thumb1024_210_BRC.jpg)
![](/blogimg/13/thumb1024_213_BRC.jpg)
![for a monday noon, it was already pretty full, but there were holes by the edges for a monday noon, it was already pretty full, but there were holes by the edges](/blogimg/26/thumb1024_226_BRC.jpg)
for a monday noon, it was already pretty full, but there were holes by the edges
My 30X zoom handheld camera came in handy, sadly it got better shots than my RC plane at times:
![Barely any cars arriving Barely any cars arriving](/blogimg/01/thumb1024_201_BRC.jpg)
Barely any cars arriving
![Very reasonable line, almost no cars Very reasonable line, almost no cars](/blogimg/44/thumb1024_244_BRC.jpg)
Very reasonable line, almost no cars
![the man didn't look like much and was still being built the man didn't look like much and was still being built](/blogimg/11/thumb1024_211_BRC.jpg)
the man didn't look like much and was still being built
![](/blogimg/14/thumb1024_214_BRC.jpg)
![](/blogimg/20/thumb1024_220_BRC.jpg)
![lighthouse lighthouse](/blogimg/50/thumb1024_250_BRC.jpg)
lighthouse
![pyramids, still being built pyramids, still being built](/blogimg/52/thumb1024_252_BRC.jpg)
pyramids, still being built
![temple, also still being built temple, also still being built](/blogimg/25/thumb1024_225_BRC.jpg)
temple, also still being built
![](/blogimg/28/thumb1024_228_BRC.jpg)
![](/blogimg/34/thumb1024_234_BRC.jpg)
Shots of the airport:
![](/blogimg/35/thumb1024_235_BRC.jpg)
![](/blogimg/40/thumb1024_240_BRC.jpg)
![](/blogimg/43/thumb1024_243_BRC.jpg)
![not too hard to see the runway :) not too hard to see the runway :)](/blogimg/62/thumb1024_262_BRC.jpg)
not too hard to see the runway :)
![long runway meant for jets, I was supposed to land very long long runway meant for jets, I was supposed to land very long](/blogimg/64/thumb1024_264_BRC.jpg)
long runway meant for jets, I was supposed to land very long
![they even had marked taxiways, this is looking way too professional :) they even had marked taxiways, this is looking way too professional :)](/blogimg/00/thumb1024_300_Airport.jpg)
they even had marked taxiways, this is looking way too professional :)
And finally we got on the ground, Arturo helped me install the fly ties while I taped the plane up:
![](/blogimg/02/thumb1024_302_Airport.jpg)
![](/blogimg/05/thumb1024_305_Airport.jpg)
![all good here all good here](/blogimg/03/thumb1024_303_Airport.jpg)
all good here
![wheel bearings don't like playa dust wheel bearings don't like playa dust](/blogimg/04/thumb1024_304_Airport.jpg)
wheel bearings don't like playa dust
![there you go, all done :) there you go, all done :)](/blogimg/07/thumb1024_307_Airport.jpg)
there you go, all done :)
![and we were warmly welcomed as usual and we were warmly welcomed as usual](/blogimg/16/thumb1024_316_Airport.jpg)
and we were warmly welcomed as usual
A few shots of planes:
![](/blogimg/00/thumb1024_400_Planes.jpg)
![water was a bit low this year :) water was a bit low this year :)](/blogimg/01/thumb1024_401_Planes.jpg)
water was a bit low this year :)
![a good amount of Ultralights too a good amount of Ultralights too](/blogimg/04/thumb1024_404_Planes.jpg)
a good amount of Ultralights too
And after a week of fun, we left sunday afternoon, as lots of cars were still driving out, and there were many:
![](/blogimg/00/thumb1024_600_BRC_After.jpg)
![](/blogimg/19/thumb1024_619_BRC_After.jpg)
![traffic pulsing to let people behind in line turn off their engines and just take a 1H nap traffic pulsing to let people behind in line turn off their engines and just take a 1H nap](/blogimg/16/thumb1024_616_BRC_After.jpg)
traffic pulsing to let people behind in line turn off their engines and just take a 1H nap
![](/blogimg/17/thumb1024_617_BRC_After.jpg)
![lots of cars, must have taken hours to make it to the road lots of cars, must have taken hours to make it to the road](/blogimg/23/thumb1024_623_BRC_After.jpg)
lots of cars, must have taken hours to make it to the road
![by then, BM was getting a bit thin, a lot thinner than when we arrived monday by then, BM was getting a bit thin, a lot thinner than when we arrived monday](/blogimg/04/thumb1024_604_BRC_After.jpg)
by then, BM was getting a bit thin, a lot thinner than when we arrived monday
![the temple was getting ready for being burned a few hours later the temple was getting ready for being burned a few hours later](/blogimg/09/thumb1024_609_BRC_After.jpg)
the temple was getting ready for being burned a few hours later
![what was left of the man what was left of the man](/blogimg/14/thumb1024_614_BRC_After.jpg)
what was left of the man
The flight back to PAO was unevenful, I was just worried about getting there before sunset:
![high altitude chips high altitude chips](/blogimg/04/thumb1024_904_BRC_to_PAO.jpg)
high altitude chips
![my trusty RC planes, going back home my trusty RC planes, going back home](/blogimg/05/thumb1024_905_BRC_to_PAO.jpg)
my trusty RC planes, going back home
![after landing, we gave the plane a good wash, and headed home after landing, we gave the plane a good wash, and headed home](/blogimg/10/thumb1024_910_BRC_to_PAO.jpg)
after landing, we gave the plane a good wash, and headed home