“You fly over hundreds of miles of quiet desert, and suddenly this bustling, temporary metropolis appears out of the dust. Settling onto the playa floor at 88NV is a landing like no other on Earth.”
Touching down on the playa: A yearly aviation Pilgrimage
Our Story
Flying into 88NV isn't your average cross-country flight. There are no paved taxiways, standard tower facilities, or traditional visual landmarks—just a vast, ancient dry lakebed (the playa), alkaline dust whiteouts, density altitude challenges, and a temporary runway charted specifically for one extraordinary week a year.
For Steve & gale McKibbon, the annual flight to 88NV represents the ultimate synthesis of technical skill, community spirit, and pure freedom.
our plane:
king kamati
The King Katmai is a specialized, high-performance conversion built on the Cessna 182 frame, created by Todd and Jo Peterson of Peterson's Performance Plus. It is considered by many backcountry pilots to be the absolute gold standard for short takeoff and landing (STOL) utility while retaining true 140+ knot cruise performance.
Key highlights of the flight
Navigating the Black Rock Desert: Managing desert heat, high density altitude, and variable wind shear across the vast Nevada basin.
The Unpaved Runway: Perfecting soft-field landings on cracked alkali clay, where dust kicked up by touch-and-gos can shift visibility in seconds.
Volunteering & Community: Joining fellow aviators, air traffic volunteers, and ground crew who build a fully operational airport out of thin air each summer.
Scenic Reconnaissance: Capturing rare aerial views of the temporary city grid and surrounding desert landscape from 1,000 feet AGL.
why 88nv?
Dimension the challenge the reward
environment extreme heat, dust storms, Sweeping, unfiltered views
akaline playa surfaces. of the great basin wilderness
Piloting skill precise pattern work, Absolute sharpening of
density altitude calc- fundamental hand flying skils
ulations, non standard
traffic.
culture Minimal infrastructure, unmatched camaraderie
self-reliance, off-grid umong pilots and aviation
logistics. enthusiasts.
Who We Are
Every decision we make is shaped by a clear sense of purpose. Our journey has been anything but ordinary. Through every step, we've focused on staying true to our values and making space for thoughtful, lasting work.
We believe in simple ideas, strong relationships, and lasting impact. What began as a passion project has evolved into something more. We’re proud of where we’ve been and even more excited for what’s ahead.
n133vw
■ dust, altitude, & free flights
one of steve’s favorite things to do at 88nv is to take people on flights above the playa.
he has flown over 300 people at burning man
