YHM to Uruguay

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 3:11 pm

So I get to ferry a caravan to Uruguay(Punta del Este). f*kin' awesome!!!!!! And while I have been looking at routings, and I have my CP helping me with flightplanning, I am interested in opinions as to routings through Brasil, as well as across the caribbean. Conservative range with IFR reserves is 700 nm. Could go up to 750 depending on alternates.

Also, best airport for stopover in Miami area? I was thinking FXE, but if anyone has input I would appreciate it.

Thanks in advance
wp

airwrench · Post by **airwrench** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 7:54 am

you lucky bastard, looks like points north for me. Have fun, let me know how it turns out.

Airwrench

TTJJ · Post by **TTJJ** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 4:16 pm

We always go to OPA LOCKA Airport (OPF) in Miami.

We use Miami Exectutive Aviation as our handler. 12 miles from downtown Miami.

As for your routing through Brazil...how much time do you have to do the trip? (hours flight time allowed....as in can you take your time or are you on a tight leash?)

Let me know and I´ll set you up.
TJ

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 7:54 pm

Well, it's a fairly snug leash. Choice of routing is flexible, but i don't have time to see the sights, if that's what you mean. Basically we want the most economical routing that is also the easiest beaurocratically, and with the best service for expediency and ease of passage....ie....if the handlers are better at certain airports, then I would like to know as we will factor that into our routing. SBSP is a definite possibility for a technical stop, but actually i was more concerned with cutting the corner and avoid going around the coast. What is SBAT like? As an overnight?....have ya been there? I don't speak portuguese, (fluent in spanish, though) so i don't know if some of the backwater airports like alta floresta will be too difficult to negotiate.

Beothuk1 · Post by **Beothuk1** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 11:43 am

You may try Boa Vista, Manaus, or Rio Branco....all I have seen to be easy in and out stops with overnights if you wish. Your gringo Spanish will not help you a ton so try conversing in English as they are all required to speak it. International law of aviation blah blah blah. Their english may be worse than your spanish though so patience is required.
Hint....cary lotsof small denomination US currency with you because everyone convieniently has NO change.

You have to finish mowing the lawn (your grid) up there first though!!
Good luck.

TTJJ · Post by **TTJJ** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 6:14 pm

Well the Boring but quickest route would be.

Miami, Turks and Caicos, Caracus, Boa Vista (ILS), Manaus (ILS), Alta Floresta (VORDME), Campo Grande (ILS), Foz do Iguasu (ILS), Montevideo.

If you can squeeze the range, Manaus to Cuiaba (SBCY, ILS) is about 800nm. Then head to SBFI (Foz do Iguasu) Use SATA as your handler there. Actually you can use them almost anywhere as they belong to VARIG airlines.

SBFI to Montevideo takes you across a piece of Argentina. You may want to backtrack a bit and scoot around the border on the Brasilian side to avoid overflight charges.

Don´t come to Sao Paulo as a tech stop. It is out of your way.

ps. Overnight in Manaus at either the Ponta Negra Hotel (upscale) or the Taj Mahal Hotel downtown (Used to overnight there when I flew 737´s)

In Cuiaba (Brazil´s Brandon MB.) go to the Paiaguas Hotel

Why don´t you set up an account with Universal in Houston or Jepp. and let them worry about your overflight permits, hotel reservations handlers and such. The cut rate that Universl can get you for hotels would probably cover the cost of using them in the first place. We use them all the time.
Jepp. is cheaper than Universal and you are probably going to order a trip kit from them anyway, so why not give them a call.
BIG SAVINGS IN THE HEADACHE DEPARTMENT
http://www.universalweather.com

airwrench · Post by **airwrench** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 5:44 am

Have to agree with last 2 posters, if you can overnight in Manaus, stayed there couple years back had a good stay. Have you done the S. Amerca tour before ? When you leaving?

AW

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 6:44 am

good info, thanks. actually, we have a person in operations who is doing all the flight permitting and has lots of experience doing it, so that should be fine. TJ thanks for the routing info...very helpful.

wrench: yeah, have done south america work before, actually lived in Santiago for a year, but never been to or ferried across brazil before. leaving in about 3 or 4 weeks.

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:49 am

so the DFO won't let us go through the carribbean and west indies because it's too much overwater for a s/e, and Colombia is a no-no so, mexico over to Venezuela it is. It's 1000nm further, but hey, it's their money. So, I'm looking for hotel recommendations in:

MROC (San Jose, CR)
TNCC (Curacao)
SBCG (Campo Grande, Brasil)

thanks
wp

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 7:57 pm

So here I am in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. The Ferry trip has been great so far. We started out in YHM on saterday, made Houston that night, and onto Tegucigalpa, Honduras on Sunday(with a stop in Veracaruz, Mex for fuel). It was a long day but really amazing. Heading south east to Tegucigalpa in the rainy season, we were treated to a great light show in the distance as those tropical t-storms raged, thankfully not in our way.

The night VOR/DME approach into mountainous terrain in IMC in Tegucigalpa was a learning experience for sure. Definitely had the hairs on the back of the neck at attention. I always get a bit of a sense of foreboding when the approach plate has that phrase...."high terrain all quadrants"...(shiver).

the next day it was onto Panama city. with the Tropical boomers dissipated for the morning, we headed south east. Over beautiful smoking volcanoes in El Salvador, to the lush rain forests of Costa Rica, it really was the fastest 4.5 hours in a caravan that i ever had. Arriving in Panama, we were due to head straight out after refuelling to head east to Curacao. But, the Tropical T-storm gods said otherwise, so a night Panama city was in order. And a rainy night it was. But a welcome break after a couple hard days. Good food, a couple local libations, and a good sleep made for happy pie-lots the next morning!

The next morning(this morning) we awoke to that sticky humid misty heat of the tropical rainy season. Walking out of the air conditioned oasis of the hotel room, you feel like you have to ply your way through the sticky humid Panama heat. the forecast was not too bad. Scattered embedded T-storms along the whole route, but after the leg into Panama City dodging the big storms, this Canadian boy was getting pretty good with the Wx Radar, so we headed off. And with only a few diversions for weather, we skirted the coast of Colombia, over flying Cartagena and Baranquilla and Aruba to arrive to a beautiful, sunny, welcoming Curacao where we were booked into a Hilton Hotel on the beach front . Nice. A swim in the warm tropical Carribbean water, a good dinner, and off to bed before a very long day tomorrow to Manaus Brazil. Tomorrow early we are heading south east for Isla Margarita(Venzuela) then onto Georgetown Guyana, with our day ending in Manaus. I love this job.

-wp

flyincanuck · Post by **flyincanuck** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 10:26 pm

That's just mean! lol. Sounds like a blast man...enjoy!

BTW

Tonight (wed) metar/taf for yhm:

CYHM 170500Z 25013G22KT 15SM OVC038 M00/M06 A3003 RMK SC8
SLP177=

TAF CYHM 162340Z 170024 24015G25KT P6SM SCT015 BKN025 TEMPO 0016 5SM
-SHSN BKN015
FM1600Z 25020G30KT 5SM -SHSN BKN020
BECMG 1618 27020G30KT
FM2200Z 25015G25KT P6SM BKN025
RMK NXT FCST BY 06Z=

...but i guess that's not bad, relatively speaking...

nacho · Post by **nacho** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 9:28 am

Too bad I just found this forum.
My personal experience tells me never got o Manaus when you can go to Boa Vista and then to Alta Floresta, Sinop, Campo Grande for your exit...
It is much mor easy to do things in Boa Vista than Manaus and chaeper fuel, even if you are with Colt. Nice trip though, done it twice in cropdusters.

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 7:46 pm

Well, tonight in Campo Grande, got to experience the fundamental friendliness and welcoming of Brazil. but first, where I left off. The last 2 days have been long, but great. we left Curacao after a day's delay due to Troical Depression #27. I haven't seen whether it actually evolved into a hurricane, but the sunny curacao that welcomed us on that first day, turned to an inundated mess with the the passing of the depression. So we spent a hot, rainy, curacao day looking at the beach, but not wanting to be on it.

The weather cleared(well, t-storms became SCT rather than OVC) the next day, so onto Isla Margarita it was. A quick fuel stop, 2 empanadas, and 2 cafe con leches later, we were on our way to georgetown Guyana for another fuel stop. The legs were short due to IFR alternate capabilities, but our 3rd leg of the day to Manuas was a full flight. Arriving in Manaus at sunset, the amazon occupying the majority of our horizon as we approached Rwy 10, our handler was great and got us speedily through customs/permit procedures and to our hotel.

Next morning, off to Alta FLoresta, the equivalent of Northbay. Imagine a couple Brazilian pilots in a caravan showing up in North Bay and not speaking a word of english. well, if it wasn't for our handler, it would have been a mess. however, it worked out great, and we were quickly on our way to Campo Grande. So tonight we arrive in Campo Grande, and head out for dinner to a Churrascaria, a meat lover's paradise, where all of you who have been to BRazil know, that the meat arrives fast, hot, and delicious.

No seriously, awesome food, and way too much of it. Coming back to the hotel, the other pilot and I decided to head for a stroll on the busy friday night streets of CG. Not to be let down, there was a square nearby packed with people after what looked like a rather impromptu muscial performance. As the crowd cleared out, we both grabbed a 1/2 litre cerveja from the street vendor and proceeded to a comfortable place to sit and drink a cold beer in the unexpectedly comfortable 30C dry heat of the pampa night.

I swear to you, without any exaggeration, within 5 minutes of getting comfortable, we were approached by 4 young brazilian bombshells who wanted to meet us. Not speaking more than 10 words of portugues, and understanding even less, I proceeded in my pretty decent spanish to try to communicate. Well, it sort of worked. 4 young med students were chatting up these not quite so young canadian pilots. Alas, the story doesn't go much further(and probably for the better), but I could only imagine how quickly a single guy might get hitched in these parts if he stays for more than a day!

So, one more day, and we arrive in Montevideo. cheers. wp

ps....so glad we left YHM when did.....snow seems so far away now. only sun and warmth, and that latino heat for the next 4 months!

Kosiw · Post by **Kosiw** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 7:55 pm

Great read....u got any pics u can post here ??

nacho · Post by **nacho** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:18 am

I am curious, why did you guys go to Guyana and not direct to Boa Vista or even Manaus, No ferry tanks ?
You missed the Pacaraima Sierra and the Angels Falls....

TTJJ · Post by **TTJJ** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 7:11 pm

And people still wonder why I left Winnipeg and moved to Brazil.

(ps. I was single and got hitched in 4 months)

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 2:55 pm

right...no ferry tank, and DFO wanted us to be ultra conservative with the alternate criteria, etc. Hey, it's not my money! And yes, I have some pics, but I don't know how to post them on here. Maybe someone can tell me how.

Anyways, to continue the rest of the story. Our departure the next morning out of Campo Grande was low IFR with isolated embedded T-Storms and fortunately uneventful. We were heading Southeast for Florianopolis, reputedly the city with highest concentration of Miss Brazils. So, it was radar power southeast bound to get a glimpse of the Brazilian beauties.

Florianopolis reminded me somewhat of Rio, a city nestled among coastal mountains. And I must say, this city lived up to its reputation. Even though we were only in the airport for an hour, our expectations were surpassed. Dark and light haired beauties were a dime a dozen. So with heavy hearts, we left this utupia and headed south along the coast for Montevideo.

The trip south along the coast was beautiful and the sky cleared to that deep southern blue. South eastern brazil and the majority of Uruguay flattened out in front of us as the unexplored realm of Uruguay presented a new frontier for us. On our final hour of our flight into Montevideo, my colleague and I were giddy at the idea of not having to get up and spend another day in the airplane. At the same time, we were both coming to the realisation that this epic journey across 90 degrees of lattitude & 45 degrees of longitude, 4 seasons, 1 tropical depression, 1 flooded caribbean island, 4 beautiful brazilian med students, 54 hours of air time, 13 IFR legs (3.5-5 hrs) in 8 days, 8 smoking volcanoes, landings in 10 countries, and 1 hair raising night approach in IMC with high terrain in all quadrants with an aggresive visual manouvre for landing.....was coming to an end.

But, we had arrived at our destination. Which I guess is what it is all about. Having negotiated the complexities of aviating in foregin environments and foreign languages, we had a great sense of satisfaction as we sat in a beachside cafe in Montevideo until the wee hours of the morning, reminiscing about the previous 8 days. When the bar closed at 3am, we wandered back to our hotel rooms and slept a profoundly sound sleep.

chipmunk · Post by **chipmunk** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 4:26 pm

Great trip report, wp... looking forward to seeing some pics!!

(try setting up a free account at photobucket.com, to which you can upload photos - shrink them first if you can -, then copy and paste the reference - I think it's the IMG one - them in your posts.)

flyincanuck · Post by **flyincanuck** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 5:25 pm

At the same time, we were both coming to the realisation that this epic journey across 90 degrees of lattitude & 45 degrees of longitude, 4 seasons, 1 tropical depression, 1 flooded caribbean island, 4 beautiful brazilian med students, 54 hours of air time, 13 IFR legs (3.5-5 hrs) in 8 days, 8 smoking volcanoes, landings in 10 countries, and 1 hair raising night approach in IMC with high terrain in all quadrants with an aggresive visual manouvre for landing.....was coming to an end.

AMEN TO THAT!

Looking forward to seeing pics too!

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 6:27 pm

Uruguay for the last couple of moths has been awesome. i was home for christmas and arrived back down here in early january after a really good month back at the homestead...yvr.

So after a rainy month in yvr, the warm summer sun of 30 south latitude was a welcome change. Life down here is great. We are staying in a beautiful house near Punta del Este, and able to take advantage of all the amenities nearby. Sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, hang gliding, surfing, etc. what a great area. ther isn't too much going on economically in uruguay, but if you ever get a chance, the people are amazing, and the food is unbelievable.

looks like we'll be here 'til april. Nice.

cheers
wp

ps....i will put the fotos up at some point

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 6:28 pm

Uruguay for the last couple of moths has been awesome. i was home for christmas and arrived back down here in early january after a really good month back at the homestead...yvr.

So after a rainy month in yvr, the warm summer sun of 30 south latitude was a welcome change. Life down here is great. We are staying in a beautiful house near Punta del Este, and able to take advantage of all the amenities nearby. Sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, hang gliding, surfing, etc. what a great area. ther isn't too much going on economically in uruguay, but if you ever get a chance, the people are amazing, and the food is unbelievable.

looks like we'll be here 'til april. Nice.

cheers
wp

ps....i will put the fotos up at some point

Panama Jack · Post by **Panama Jack** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 2:27 am

TJ wrote:And people still wonder why I left Winnipeg and moved to Brazil.

(ps. I was single and got hitched in 4 months)

Perhaps because there is more to the meaning of life than the so-called "high Canadian standard of living", socialized medicine, brutal winters in exchange for a sand-box society. They can keep it.