Flamethrower Shooting Gallery

An interactive, fully participatory installation embodying the spirit of American freedom, spectacle, and friendly competition.

Version and Date

This is a DRAFT VERSION of the Flamethrower Shooting Gallery project plan

$Revision: 1.17 $

Last Changed $Date: 2008/08/16 17:11:35 $

It is expected that many further revisions will follow as the plan evolves.

Description

Modeled after "County Fair" style shooting galleries the Flamethrower Shooting Gallery provides a new twist on a long-standing American tradition and pokes gentle fun at the American fascination with firearms and personal power, along with the Burning Man fascination with fire and "radical self expression" by allowing and encouraging participants to literaly play with fire and shoot things.

Where and When

Current plans are to debut the Flamethrower Shooting Gallery in July 2008, and then bring it to the Burning Man festival in August 2008.

The Flamethrowers

The flamethrowers are under development. Project leader has a Flamethrower Permit from the California State Fire Marshall.

The devices uses compressed inert gas (Nitrogen) to pressurize the fuel bottle.

There will be floor of non-combustible, absorbant material to protect the playa surface, and a non-combustible rear wall behind the targets. There may also be walls on each side.

The Competition

Groups of up to four participants will "compete" by simultaneously shooting flamethrowers at steel targets in the shape of "the Man." The first shooter to fully and best engulf their Man in flame wins a Kewpie doll, or other suitable prize.

Targets

The targets are little Man figures - approximtely 2 feet tall, made of steel bars, with stainless steel wool to absorb and hold the burning liquid fuel.

Background Music

Background music will of course be Patriotic.

Here is PARTIAL list of the songs from the soundtrack - this list is missing songs from artists who are not on iTunes (for example, the Doors)

The Range

The Flamethrower Shooting Gallery will be a semi-enclosed structure built of non-combustable materials (e.g. steel studs, fire-treated sheetrock, sheet metal, etc.)

The range will be about 20-25' deep. Effective range of the flamethrowers is about 15-20'. Distance will be close enough to enable accurate fire direction without making it too easy.

Flamethrowers will be chained, muzzle and butt, to firing bench in order to limit the field of fire. Attractive competitors may also be chained, muzzle and butt, to firing bench for further activities. (See Range Commands Rule)

The range floor protects the Playa from any contact with flammable materials and shall consist of a layer of 6mil plastic covered with 1/2" sheetrock with the seams taped, and possibly a sheet-metal layer on top of that.

The range backstop shall be a metal-stud and sheetrock wall. Possibly with side-walls and/or roof at the rear-most 8' of the range.

Possible Course of Fire

Competitors start behind the red safety line, wearing eye protection and flame-resistant gloves.

See also the process and procedure notes.

  1. The Course of Fire begins with the command "Shooters Make Ready" shooters advance to the firing bench and pick up their flamethrowers and may disengage the safeties.
  2. At the command "Is the line ready?" shooters respond in the affirmative if ready.
  3. When all shooters ahave indicated readyness the command "The Line is Ready!" will be given, followed by "The Line is Hot!"
  4. Upon the command "Commence Firing!" the shooters may engage their target.
  5. First shooter to burn their Man down wins. Decisions of the Range Safety Officer (RSO) and Rnage Master (RM) are final.
  6. On the command "If you are finished bench all flamethrowers and step behinf the red safety line."
  7. When RSO determines that all shooters are finished the RSO turns off master power switch for all flamethrowers.
  8. RSO announces "The Line is Finished. Shooter number XX is the winner!"

The Rules:

  1. Never point a Flamethrower at anything you are not willing to destroy.
  2. A Flamethrower is always loaded, unless personally verified by you.
  3. Always be aware of your target, and what is behind it.
  4. Never place your finger inside the trigger guard unless actually engaging a target.
  5. All commands by the Range Safety Office must be obeyed at once.
  6. Muzzle must always point downrange.
  7. Muzzle must always point below top of backstop.
  8. Eye protection and flame-resistant gloves are required forward of the red safety line.
  9. No smoking or open flames forward of the red safety line.

Personelle

Chief Range Officer
Range Saftey Officer Candidates
Range Hotties
Chief Anthropologist
Director of Psychotherapeutic Services
Range Janitor