[xoxoxoBruce]

Burning pianos a tradition? First I've heard of it.

When an old piano is out of tune and completely out of commission, some say there’s only one thing left to do: Burn it.
Burning an old piano has become something of a tradition for musicians and Air Force members alike—although no one's exactly
sure how it got started.

Most stories attribute the birth of the custom to the British Royal Air Force (RAF), with the ritual eventually spreading to the
U.S. Air Force. One popular origin tale goes like this: Some time during World War II, the Royal Air Force decided that their
pilots needed to be more civilized and gentlemanly. As part of this etiquette training, pilots were required to take piano lessons.
And they all hated it—so no one was surprised when the building the piano was in mysteriously caught fire, reducing the
instrument to a pile of ashes, strings, and keys. The act of rebellion quickly became a tradition among pilots.

They must have been hard up for pilots to let them get away with that.
Maybe war time, but if there was a war on, I think piano training would be low priority.

The other story often cited is a bit more touching. By this account, a fallen RAF fighter pilot was also the resident piano player
in his squadron, and after he was killed on a mission, his fellow squadron members burned the piano in his honor.
If he couldn’t play it, no one should.

link