B.C. pilot delivers pizzas by plane at Burning Man
A Vancouver Island man became a festival legend after he delivered a stack of pizzas to festivalgoers attending Burning Man in Nevada's Black Rock Desert this summer.
"I had some people say I 'won Burning Man' for this, if that's even possible," Brandon Baker told CTV News.
Anything is possible at the nine-day festival, known for its boundless creativity and giant mechanical art pieces in the middle of nowhere.
You often hear tales of dusty debauchery and drugs from festivalgoers, but that's not Baker's story.
"I was very clear on the, 'I won't be trying any substances while down there,'" he said.
Baker is an engineer and a pilot, and along with a clear head he packed his pilot's licence and log book for the trip.
About a week into the trip he met some other pilots and one of them had intriguing news.
"One guy even has a plane down here," Baker recalled.
After receiving a reference letter from the Victoria Flying Club, Baker busied himself treating Burners to a bird's eye view of the festival.
The Burning Man festival is pictured by plane. (Submitted)
"People love it because they get to see Burning Man from the air," he said.
But those aren't even the heroics he became known for.
PIZZA DELIVERY
You don't go to Burning Man to eat and there's very few options around. But Baker had a pie in the sky idea.
"Maybe we should order pizza and bring it back to Burning Man," he said.
The ultimate party pizza run included a 35-kilometre flight to the town of Lovelock, Nev.
"The airport code to the southern town is L-O-L," said Baker.
It was a laugh out loud response from the pizza joint, which normally doesn’t deliver to the airport.
"They said, 'I think we could make an exception for that,'" said Baker.
It was precious cargo, and like a mirage in the desert, Baker delivered.
It wasn't exactly pretty, though.
"It barley fit through the cargo door," he explained. "We had 10 pizzas stacked on top of a bike on top of a guy on crutches."
The pizzas arrive at Burning Man. (Submitted)
But never before was a slice of pepperoni so well earned. As for the taste?
"The truth is, I don't remember how the pizza tasted," Baker admitted.
But looking back now, it doesn't really matter. What mattered was the journey.
The pizzas arrive at Burning Man. (Submitted)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Do this once a month and extend your life by up to 10 years. No gym required
Research shows that art experiences, whether as a maker or a beholder, transform our biology by rewiring our brains and triggering the release of neurochemicals, hormones and endorphins.
Mackenzie Hughes 'gutted' after falling short at RBC Canadian Open
Mackenzie Hughes had the dream scenario of winning the RBC Canadian Open in his hometown within reach but then it all slipped away.
Motorcycle doing wheelies, weaving in, out of traffic caught on Highway 417
A motorcycle driver is facing charges after being caught on Highway 417 doing wheelies and weaving in and out of traffic, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says.
Oilers advance to Stanley Cup final by beating Stars in Game 6
The Edmonton Oilers rode their special teams and goaltender to victory on Sunday, beating the Dallas Stars 2-1 to win the National Hockey League's Western Conference and earn a berth in the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers.
'Rotten rock': Climate change altering the face of Canadian mountaineering
The Abbot Pass hut stood for decades in a rugged saddle between two iconic peaks, overlooking the limpid turquoise of Banff National Park's Lake Louise — a destination for alpinists from around the world until the ground melted beneath it and forced its closure.
North Korea says it will stop sending trash balloons as South Korea vows strong retaliation
South Korea said Sunday it’ll soon take retaliatory steps against North Korea over its launch of trash-carrying balloons across the border and other provocations.
'The legacy I want to leave:' Mother with Stage 4 cancer advocates for survivors
People around the world are observing National Cancer Survivor Day, an annual celebration held to honour patients who have been through the often difficult and traumatic experience of living with cancer.
Driver missing after vehicle plunges into the Riviere-des-Prairies between Montreal and Laval
Emergency response crews are on the scene Sunday morning after a vehicle plunged into the Riviere des Prairies in Montreal.