BurningSky

Frequently Asked Questions

Skydivers

• I'm a skydiver. Can I jump with Burning Sky?
• How much do I contribute to share the cost of the airplane?
• How many jumps should I get?
• Why are your jump packages so expensive?
• Why are your jump packages so cheap?
• Why do you give away so many observer slots?
• I'm a skydiver but I don't have my own gear. Can I rent/borrow gear at Burning Man?
• I'm a skydiver but I don't have 100 jumps. Can I jump?
• Do I have to camp with Burning Sky to jump?
• What are the next steps to take?

Non-Skydivers

• I'm not a skydiver but I'd like to catch a ride in your plane. How can I do that?
• What can I expect on a ride?
• How much do I contribute to share the cost of the airplane?
• Can I get a tandem over Burning Man?
• I want to learn how to skydive. Can you help me with that?

General

• What is "Burning Sky?"
• What is this 'participation' thing all about?
• How can I contribute to the camp?
• How is the camp organized?
• Does anyone make money from this?
• What happens if there is extra money left over?
• If I don't use all of my slots, can I get a refund after the event?
• What if weather prevents me from jumping or taking my observer ride? Can I get a refund then?
• What if there's a mechanical problem with the plane? Can I get a refund then?
• What does Burning Sky provide besides an airplane?
• Where do you camp and how do I find you?
• Can I camp with you if I don't skydive?
• I am a photographer. Can I get a free ride on the plane to document Burning Man from the air?

I'm a skydiver. Can I jump with Burning Sky?

Yes! All you have to do is contact Ken or Trina to arrange to share the cost of the airplane. You must pay for a jump package before Burning Man starts - we do not accept money at the event. Seriously! We turn away walk-on skydivers. The price increases the closer you get to the event so pay early. Your jump money does not include the price of admission to Burning Man - you still have to buy a ticket! We're looking for about 100 jump minimum experience level.

How much do I contribute to share the cost of the airplane?

It changes every year due to fluctuating airplane/fuel prices and the number of participants we have. Look for a current price list for this year or contact Ken or Trina.

How many jumps should I get?

Our minimum jump package is 5 jumps per skydiver (sorry, you can't share a package with someone else). Most people buy between 5 - 12 jumps.
It's rare to jump 12 times in four days - the pace is much slower than at your local DZ. Most people make a few jumps a day and maybe take a day off to see the city. Many buy extra slots to give away to observers. In 2006 the average number of jumps bought per skydiver was seven.

Why are your jump packages so expensive?

We are a small group of skydivers sharing the expense of a very cool aircraft. We pay for ferrying the plane to Burning Man, 4 days of jumping, fuel delivery to a very remote corner of the earth, and to take up many, many free observers. That expense is spread out to only about 40 or 50 skydivers and a handful of observers.

Why are your jump packages so cheap?

Okay, now you get it.

Why do you give away so many observer slots?

Burning Man is based on a ‘gifting economy.’ The idea is to freely give whatever it is you have. If we were a group of exotic dancers we would give away lap dances. We have a cool airplane with some extra space so we give away observer slots.

I'm a skydiver but I don't have my own gear. Can I rent/borrow gear at Burning Man?

Nope.

I'm a skydiver but I don't have 100 jumps. Can I jump?

Probably not. Burning Man is an event with thousands of people freely walking through your landing area and obstacles peppered around, albeit a huge landing area with hundreds of meters between obstacles. You have to have your approach and landing wired in order to safely jump here.
There have been, in the past, a few people who jumped with less than 100 jumps experience. They went to great effort before the event to show us that they were heads up enough to consistently nail their landings, or maybe they were sleeping with a core member :-)

Do I have to camp with Burning Sky to jump?

Nope. Some of our jumpers are associated with other camps and live elsewhere. Every jumper, however, is asked to contribute in some way to our camp... work a shift, help with the set up, etc.

What are the next steps to take?

1. If you have never been to Burning Man, read the chapters in the Burning Man web site about first timers. That's at www.burningman.com. Also keep up with the Burning Sky site and sign up to the e-mail list.
2. Contact us and arrange to share aircraft cost with a package of jumps.
3. Think about how you will participate in the art and improve our camp's experience.
4. Acquire a ticket to Burning Man.
5. We have a forum setup for team collaboration and idea sharing. Register today to keep up-to-date with our activities. We don't have the budget to send out printed communications all year, so the website and forum are our primary lines of communication.

I'm not a skydiver but I'd like to catch a ride in your plane. How can I do that?

In 2006 we took up about 150 non-jumping observers and we loved doing it. It’s our gift to the city.

There's three ways to get a ride in our plane:

1. Help us pay for the plane by sending us money before the event. That will get you a guaranteed ride in the airplane. These slots are limited. Contact Ken or Trina.

2. Show up at our camp on Saturday and try for the lottery. We will be giving away a ton of rides for FREE. Nothing expected from you except a smile. We may also lottery on Sunday, but Saturday is the big day.

3. Find a skydiver around our camp, bring your best barter or beg, and talk an airplane ride out of him/her. Most skydivers have a few extra slots in the plane to give away.

What can I expect on a ride?

As you know, there is an airport at Burning Man. You will get in the plane with the skydivers - you in the pilot-end of the airplane and the skydivers in the back. There are windows so bring a camera. The view is unbelievable and it will give you a completely different perspective of the city. The plane will circle the city on the way to 13,000 ft above ground, drop the skydivers, and descend to land back at Burning Man. The ride takes about 20 minutes, but plan to burn two or three hours of your day finding our camp, checking in, waiting for a lottery, traveling to the airport, etc.

How much do I contribute to share the cost of the airplane?

It changes every year due to fluctuating airplane/fuel prices and the number of participants we have. Look for a current price list for this year or contact Ken or Trina.

Can I get a tandem over Burning Man?

You and about 40,000 other people would trade anything for a tandem ride. Unfortunately, we can't offer it. We've done a few tandems in the past but they are pretty spontaneous and random, and there's no way to plan to get one.

I want to learn how to skydive. Can you help me with that?

We don't do any training at Burning Man, but we'd be happy to hook you up with a good training program near your home. Check out www.uspa.org for a list of skydiving facilities in your neighborhood, or drop by the camp, drink one of our cocktails, and get the inside beta.

What is "Burning Sky?"

We are a group of people, mostly skydivers, who participate in Burning Man. Some of us have been going since 1999.

Because of our unique ability to participate in the city from under parachutes, we concentrate on trying to make the air interesting to people on the ground, and to make people on the ground interesting by capturing images from the air.

Anyone is welcome to join.

What is this 'participation' thing all about?

This is not a boogie. A boogie is where you show up, buy some jump-tickets, and somebody else does all the organizing and work. This is an event where everyone pitches in to organize, set up camp, run manifest, fuel the plane, help the observers, and clean up after the event. Please plan to work a 4-hour shift and/or otherwise help out around camp.
The Burning Man organizers also expect you to participate in the art of the city with costumes, art installations, and in our case aerial art. First timers usually get a pass while they break their cherries and get oriented - although you will feel out of place without some kind of costume.

How can I contribute to the camp?

In the, members section, there is a list of groups that handle different camp chores, from airplane scheduling to setting up and tearing down the camp. There is something for almost any talent, so check out what is needed and contact the leader of that group.
We also welcome new ideas. If you have an idea on how to advance our general goals, please let us know.

How is the camp organized?

There are a group of about nine organizers called 'Core Members' who pay a little more money and do a little more work than almost everyone else. There are also some notable members who are not in the 'core' group who are very high contributors.

The Core Members vote on issues like the overall direction of camp, finances, projects, etc. They each bring out a large infrastructure component of camp such as a shade structure, jump tokens, aircraft, mutant vehicle, showers, kitchen... They also each organize an area of responsibility such as running manifest, fueling the plane, greeting observers, and coordinating night jumps.

All other jumpers are camp members who are expected to help out by joining a group and working a single 4-hour shift. Camp members are also expected to join in discussions and express their opinions and ideas about camp direction and such. Everyone participates!

Does anyone make money from this?

Nobody associated with Burning Sky makes any personal profit from all of this. The organizers are a group of volunteers who actually pay MORE money into the pot than the rest. Our hired pilot and aircraft owner are the only one's getting paid.

What happens if there is extra money left over?

Since predicting cost down to the penny is impossible, we usually try to collect a few more ducats than we expect to spend (way better than collecting too few). That extra money goes into a dedicated Burning Sky account and is spent on camp projects to make our camp bigger and shinier.

If I don't use all of my slots, can I get a refund after the event?

Nope. This is a tough nut but we budget and plan to spend your money when it gets to us so there are no refunds.

What if weather prevents me from jumping or taking my observer ride? Can I get a refund then?

Nope. We still have to pay for the plane, so your money still gets spent. Weather is a risk we all take. We will try our best to reschedule observers.

What if there's a mechanical problem with the plane? Can I get a refund then?

If the plane does not fly its contract then we don't have to pay for it. Refunds will come out of extra money left over.

What does Burning Sky provide besides an airplane?

Shade and a camping area. That's it. You have to bring your own food, water, soft thing to sleep on, sleeping partner, parachute, tent, clothes (optional), alcohol, and recreational items. Burning Man organization provides potties, medical services, ice, a coffee shop, and some great art. Think of it like a week of costumed camping. To get a good idea of what you need to bring, please visit http://www.burningman.com/first_timers/.

Where do you camp and how do I find you?

It's up to the Burning Man Gods every year for our exact theme camp placement, but generally we are on the 5:30 or 6:00 radial a few streets behind center camp. For more specific info see the theme camp placement list you get at the gate, check out the announcements on this website in July, or like a lost puppy follow one of our skydivers home during the event. We are pretty easy to spot in the sky you know.

Can I camp with you if I don't skydive?

Many do. We have friends and family members of skydivers who stay with us and we love them lots. We especially love those who participate and contribute something to the group.

I am a photographer. Can I get a free ride on the plane to document Burning Man from the air?

It’s funny; everyone with a camera thinks they should get a free ride. So the short answer is no.

In the past some photographers with proven skills and a willingness to trade prints have bartered with individual Burning Sky members for a ride. Feel free to try your luck with that.