AVweb
An unknown number of aircraft are stranded at Black Rock City Airport (NV88), the pop-up desert strip that serves the massive Burning Man event in Nevada. The airport, a 6,000-foot strip on the playa a few miles from the main event, was closed late Friday when a major rainfall turned it and the festival into a sea of mud. About 73,000 people have been told to shelter in place as more rain is expected.
There are typically dozens of private aircraft at the facility, which boasts a temporary ATC facility staffed by professional controllers who donate their time. The airport is also served by a charter operation called Burner Express that shuttles in attendees. According to Business Insider, about 880 flights have operated in the past week or so, but many of those were charters so the number of tied down aircraft is unclear.
Meanwhile, it could be days before the planes or anything else can move from the site. The playa, about 100 miles from Reno, is inches deep in mud and to avoid it becoming rutted the organizers have ordered attendees to avoid even pushing bicycles around. A State of National Emergency has been declared and next steps to ensure the safety of the attendees are unclear.
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