People

Airport Staff and Crew over the Years

Here is the randomly assembled Airport Hall of Fame. Infamy. Fame. Through 2016.

Lissa
TigerTiger – Lissa Shoun
Lissa Shoun – TigerTiger (1996-2013)
  • First Airport Operations Manager
  • Instrumental in creating an official Airport at Burning Man
  • Wrote the first Airport Operations Plan in 2004
  • Helped to create additional manager &volunteer roles

 

calamity-charles
Calamity – Charles Petrie
Charles Petrie – Calamity (1998-2016)
  • Airport Operations Manager 2013-2016
  • Worked with TigerTiger and crew 1999 – 2010  
    Assistant Airport Operations Manager 2010 – 2012
  •  APATS system to track operations
  • Fostered growth of Black Rock City Airport 
 
WriteHand – Sandi Kovach-Long (YYYY – 2016)
WriteHand-Krzylade-sandi
WriteHand, Sandi Kovach-Long
  • Co-Created RCBRC, researched and created rules governing safe RC flight, Registered and trained 200 RC/drone pilots 
  • Reorganization of website content (2014 – 2016)
  • Emergency Safety Manual  (2014 – 2016)
  • Documentation of Air Division meetings 
  • On-playa Incident Reporter 2016
Mike Bunch – Hoot (1999-2011)
  • First Air Commander (1999-2011)
  • Collaborator on Advisory and Pilot Briefing
Hawk
Hawk – Dean Siracusa
Dean Siracusa – Hawk  (2011- 2013)
  • Active at the airport since 2000
  • Created first charts for navigating around the airport
  • Created clockwise movement around the Event known as the  “Scenic Pattern”, Advisory, and Briefing
  • Worked with FAA to get our airport designated 88NV and to have it placed on FAA charts
system-mark
System – Mark Krajcar
Mark Krajcar – System  (2014 – 2016)
  • Instrumental in creating dual runway operations 
  • Created Token System to control plane traffic in the Scenic Pattern
  • Updated Advisory with Squeezebox and WriteHand
  • Launched 88NV website in 2014, online Briefing Test, Registration
  • Became the “Horizontal Air Commander” in absentia for the 2015 Event
Daniel Corbett – Cavu (2004 – 2016)       
cavu 3
Cavu – Daniel Corbett
  • Collaborated on large turbo prop service to playa
  • Ramp Safety
  • Interceptor
  • Customs
  • Gate
  • Air Operations Manager – 2016 Event 
Rebecca Kraft – littlepiggy, Queen of Customs (2004 – 2012)
  • Customs Manager
  • Instrumental in developing the procedures, governing rules, and manual 
Frederick Leist – Lightning  (2004– 2015) 
Lightning – Frederic Leist
  • Volunteer roles included Squadron Leader and Prime Minister
  • Customs Manager 2013 – 2015
  • Automation of Customs functions
  • Improved Nightwatch at Airport, Introduced Ride Wrangler role, collaborated with Meat Hunter (Harold Webster) to develop Airport Info

 

Ministry of Customs – Old School 

 TigerTiger (Lissa Shoun), Calamity (Charles Petrie), littlepiggy (Rebecca Kraft), The Mayor (Kevin Bowman), Squeeky (Michelle Cadieux), Red Tutu (Heidi K), Spitfire (Steve Clarke), Jet Slag (Lana Spitz) and Fido (Adam Meyerson)

zeus-carl
Zeus – Carl Sagerquist
Carl Sagerquist – Zeus (2008 – 2013)
  • Assisted in 2007, became UniCommander in 2008
  • Refinement of “advice only” system based upon his years as an Air Traffic Controller
  • Tracked take-off/landings
  • Noted for the celebratory certificates he gave to Unicom volunteers

 Michael Twing – Rebar (1999 – 2012)

  • Worked in conjunction with BRTA in building the Airport Village (1999-2005)
  • First Logistics Manager (2006 –  2012)
  • Layout of the village and runway survey with Glassman
  • Introduced black cones for runway
Chris Boyle – Blaze (2006 – 2016)
  • Airport Mayor 
  • Logistics Crew
  • Prime Minister
  • Land Crew
  • Post-Event Resto
Venture-Paul Fiore
Venture – Paul Fiore
Paul Fiore – Venture (2011-2016) 
  • Logistics crew  2011 – 2013
  • Logistics Manager 2013 – 2014
  • Charter Liason 2015 – 2016
 
Z-krisztina
Z   Zip Tie – Krisztina Holly
Krisztina Holly – Z or ZipTie (2014 – 2016)
  • Logistics Quartermistress 

 

Eric Bong – Eric Bong (1999-2008)
  • Airport equipment and set-up 
Roger Plowe – Glassman (2003 – 2013)
  • Glassman is one of the early ones, flying to the playa since 1995

    Glassman Roger Plowe (photo from Glassman)
    Glassman – Roger Plowe
  • Introduced runway chevrons, GA Ramp parking markers, first telescoping radio tower
  • roposed two runways with airport Village   in the middle…took us years to get 2 runways and we are still not camping between them
  • Collaborated on airport village layout, runway and fuel depot construction 

 

Dogpilot James Wallace
Dogpilot – James Wallace
James Wallace – Dog Pilot  (2014 – 2016)
  • Survey and Runway construction
  • Oversaw runway crew 
 
Ericka Willet (Kosina) 
  • Volunteer Coordinator 2003 
Diamond Aviation 2016(photo from David Mercier)
BRC 2015 Crew (photo by Diamond Aviation