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You Can Dance in a Gutted Boeing 747 at Burning Man

Aug. 31, 2018
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3 min read
Burning Man 747
You Can Dance in a Gutted Boeing 747 at Burning Man
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There are some pretty outrageous spectacles at the Burning Man Festival, a music and art exhibition that takes place every year in the Mojave Desert. But dancing in a completely gutted Boeing 747? Now that sounds like Burning Man, TPG-style.

The decommissioned aircraft was a "1985 Varig cargo conversion that once carried passengers in Brazil," according to nonprofit art collective Big Imagination. The plane is registered for the festival as an "art car," or interactive performance art vehicles, where participants can usually ride or dance. The 747 is outfitted with a bar and dance club and reportedly will be towed around the festival to different locations.

The team at Big Imagination got the 747 from an aircraft graveyard near the Mojave Desert. It took four years and hundreds of volunteers to complete the project from start to finish. As you can see from this 3D tour, the aircraft was in rough shape before the project began.

The epic aircraft feat is the brainchild of Big Imagination's Ken Feldman, who reportedly got the idea while looking at bikes made of old plane engines at Burning Man back in 2010. “I was at looking at them and thinking — wouldn’t it be cool if we brought a plane to Burning Man?” Feldman told TechCrunch in 2015.

The idea, though, was shelved until 2014, when Feldman found out about the aircraft graveyard in Mojave.

A teaser experience for the 747 art car in 2015 that Medium covered showed a ticket counter, a first class lounge, an "insecurity" checkpoint and an "emotional baggage check."

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So what other aviation-based art exhibitions can we expect from Feldman in the future. Nothing, he says. “I will never ever work on another art car again, except for this project," Feldman told TechCrunch. "It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I will never do something like this again. This is my Everest.”

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Why We Chose It

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.