B.C. pilot delivers pizzas by plane at Burning Man
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.
Texas' Republican-led House of Representatives impeached state Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday on articles including bribery and abuse of public trust, a sudden, historic rebuke of a GOP official who rose to be a star of the conservative legal movement despite years of scandal and alleged crimes.
An attorney for an 11-year-old Mississippi boy who was shot by a police officer after he called 911 for help said Thursday there was 'no way' the boy could have been mistaken for an adult.
Killer whales severely damaged a sailing boat off the coast of southern Spain, the local maritime rescue service said on Thursday, adding to dozens of orca attacks on vessels recorded so far this year on Spanish and Portuguese coasts.
It is a world wrapped in mystery - the seventh planet from the sun, Uranus, seen up close just once nearly four decades ago by a passing NASA probe and still warily guarding its secrets.
Mexican authorities say they've made an arrest in the killing of a Quebec man earlier this month in the Pacific coast beach town of Puerto Escondido. The Oaxaca state attorney general says in a statement issued Friday that an arrest warrant was executed for a man in Puerto Escondido identified only by his initials in connection with the homicide of Victor Masson.
Deborah Stefanek's doctor recommended she take a new medication called Kisempta to treat her relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. She was shocked to learn every province in Canada covers Kisempta under their Pharmacare plans except B.C.
As more people are heading out to enjoy the city’s wilderness areas, North Vancouver RCMP issued water safety tips for those spending time at the North Shore’s rivers and lakes.
A man and a woman have been arrested and charged for last March’s murder of 41-year-old Chad Colivas of Abbotsford, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) said Saturday.
The rookie quarterback recorded a pair of touchdown runs, including a late game-winning 46-yard sprint into the end zone, as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers survived a comeback bid to open up CFL pre-season play with a 25-23 victory over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday afternoon.
Advocates are hoping the Ontario government will consider alternatives to the use of wild animals in off-leash dog areas for the purpose of tracking as officials push forward with a proposal to expand training areas in the province.
Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley held a major rally in downtown Calgary Saturday morning, while her United Conservative rival had no public events planned this weekend after a final pitch to voters a day earlier.
Quebecers are used to congestion headaches on Highway 40, but Saturday’s hold-up was nothing if not out of the ordinary: a horse broke free from its transport container and ran free in the fast lane. Marco Lelievre, a trucker, stopped his vehicle while driving through Repentigny, Que. after he saw the runaway horse.
Those planning on travelling in and around Montreal on the weekend may want to consider public transit or a bicycle to get around as there are a more than a few construction projects that will cause major road closures.
Who is Diandra D'Alessio? She's a Montrealer, a technical writer, a history lover -- and she's last night's Jeopardy winner. The self-proclaimed trivia buff made it out on top with $3,299 under her belt.
Ontario Provincial Police arrested a fourth suspect in connection to the alleged kidnapping of Elnaz Hajtamiri, the Ontario woman who disappeared in January 2022.
Several people have been hospitalized with smoke inhalation after trying to save multiple animals from a fire at a cat shelter on Shanty Bay Road in Oro-Medonte.
A Prince Albert man said he can start moving on, now that the woman who attacked his 89-year-old father has been sentenced. He said because of the assault, he lost both his mother and father.
The Catholic school system in Saskatchewan has a long history and is ultimately protected by the province’s constitution. Something the courts have backed up.
Ontario Provincial Police have charged two people following reports of hitchhikers displaying aggressive behaviour along the Highway 17 East corridor in Kenora.
The Burning Man festival is pictured by plane. (Submitted)
The pizzas arrive at Burning Man. (Submitted)
The pizzas arrive at Burning Man. (Submitted)
