Eurocopter EC-130 (N240SH)

These two Airbus helicopters are two of the many helicopters flying people from all around the world out to the Black Rock Desert where the annual Burning Man Festival is in progress. In this photo (best viewed by clicking on FULL), Sundance's N244SH is lifting away from Lima taxiway to make the fourteen minute trip from RNO to the temporary airport (88NV-- see ** below) in the Black Rock Desert while N240SH awaits its next load of passengers. In the background, N878MH is one of four Maverick Helicopters EC30s also flying people to the festival. And just as an "interesting" bit of additional information -- the fare for the quarter-hour flight to get to the festival is (are you ready for this?) .... waaaay over $2000.00 per person. But it is well worth the price. People who drove out were waiting in line for over 15 hours to get in ... and that was AFTER they made the two-hour drive from Reno to Gerlach. Tonight, the Man will burn, and then about 80,000 attendees will all start leaving. And these helicopters will be busy again.
** The airport in the Black Rock Desert is a temporary strip which is established each year just to accommodate helicopters and small passenger planes that bring attendees from RNO to the festival. It even has a very small control tower that is built to direct the air traffic. The airport is assigned an identification number, 88NV. And every year, after the festival is concluded and as required by the Bureau of Land Management, the airport must be dismantled so completely that no remnants of it are left behind.