Flutterby™! : Burning Man an Al Qaida Camp? 2002-07-25 16:13:13+00

Burning Man an Al Qaida Camp?

2002-07-25 16:13:13+00 by TC 9 comments

Todays Burning Man images is brought to by the letter Q. A couple of years ago I noticed Air force planes making practice bombing runs at The Man and thought it seemed a little silly at the time(why would you want to blow up some camp in the middle of the desert?). It seemed especially dangerous since they did this exercise during a sand storm. Maybe they can drop the bright yellow food pakages(the ones that look like unexploded munitions)this year since there are left overs. Come to think of it with Ashcroft in office maybe they'll use live bombs to quell this desert uprising

that's hardly a bomber; it's a C-130, probably a special mission aircraft with the under wing tanks. I saw these guys making low passes several times. I think they may routinely do low altitude practice in these valleys, maybe out of Fallon naval air station to the south.

I think it was two years ago that some jet made a low pass. I was in a tent at the time and missed it, but I seem to remember hearing "F-14" from someone.

Yeah, I've seen a lot of 130s out there, and a couple of larger than most of the little birds that fly into the Black Rock strip for the 'chutists too.

Jim:While Hercs are not thought of as bombers in the conventional sense they are loaned for non DoD operations and drop these really nasty things called "daisy cutters".

Dan: Yup 2 years ago F-14 and I was outside the dome and know exactly what many talliban soldiers last thoughts were. "What the FU...."

todd: yeah, I thought about the daisy cutters after posting that. I'm not sure if just any C-130 can drop them or what.

I remember one wed. morning on the playa i was up early, maybe 7:30 am, and feeling rather down, wondering if I should just go home (i was there by myself, so must have been 2000) when an f-14 came over low and barely subsonic; i got goose bumps and it lifted my spirits, being an airplane geek as i am. Despite their terrible purpose I can find warplanes beautiful at times. I suppose many things I encounter in our society inspire that kind of ambivalent response in me.

Sounds like the same F-14 event for all 3 of us. I am a fan of military hardware from a geeky perspective of technology trumping technology in the ultimate end game. That morning I had been especially zen having watched the sun come up on the playa and was sipping some BBQ'd peets coffee and like you said he came in barely subsonic(like at maybe 600 knots) and sorta blew that whole zen thing but definately gave me a better understanding from the ground target POV. Are you going to the playa this year? Come by Firetown and say "Hi" or "incoming" or something.

Oh BTW while we are aircraft geeking Farnborough air show gets compared to Comdex.

you won't see government diplomats ogling keyboards at Comdex the way I saw generals caressing control sticks at Farnborough.

growing up on military bases, the distinct sound of warplanes is easily recognizable.. Just after September 11th, F-15s and F16's flew low and loud over Chattanooga. I am sure it was intended to be re-assuring, but after having lived here so long without hearing them, it was unsettling. The world changed.

I also grew up on Air Force bases. I'm both very familiar with the sounds (and sights) of fighter planes and very aware when they are in a place they normally aren't.

BTW, I'm sure the fighters over Afganistan didn't observe the ban on breaking the sound barrier over populated areas. If you think subsonic is intimidating, try the concusion of a low-flying plane going supersonic. For some reason, when I lived in Florida the F15s from Eglin used to blow over Tyndall about once a week while I was in school. Just seemed normal to me...

thanks, todd, i'll try to find y'all. "Incoming" would be appropriate if I mount the tomato gun on my rickshaw again... we used it one year to shoot tennis balls. I always wanted to wear a tennis outfit and try to return them with my racket. I suppose this year i may carry my Tibetan prayer wheel instead, or maybe the laser. I've just bought a little holographic device to project silly images and have been shining spaceships on the treetops around my roof.