Planning a trip from the US to South America, more specifically I'm considering flying down the Keys / PR and across Guyana into Northern Brazil.

I’ve got a few Caravan hours flying around the Amazonas region of Brazil so I’m at least a little familiar with the airspace, and I have a couple of friends that each run air taxi companies down there.

That said, has anyone here flown those areas and familiar with best practices, compliance, etc?

What kind of airplane? Stay out of Venezuela! There is a LOT of thunderstorm activity around the equator and an area north and south of it.

Reach out to Jack McCormick of Bush Pilots International. He has led groups down that way and talking to Jack would be a good first stop for info.

Reach out to Jim Hanson, owner of the FBO at Albert Lea airport, MN. He flew the first amphib Caravan from Minnesota down to South America (all the way down to Antarctica, actually). "Friendship Flight '99" was the name of the expedition.
He'll certainly have a lot of information and tips. Quite a character!

VHF reception down there can be iffy, amazonica often has all the repeaters on so you get some crazy “reverb” on freq, make sure whatever EFB you use shows frequencies to expect, I know foreflight performance plus & Jepp pro shows this

Watch out for weather as others have said, dont let them push you into weather if you need to deviate DO IT, and tell them, emerg command authority and all that, though normally South America isn’t that bad and is pretty hands off

Does your altimeter have the window for hectopascals? If not be sure have a calculator or conversion table

Try not to eat all the meat, nearly put myself into a few meat comas lol

I would also ether do the fueling yourself or supervise any servicing of your plane

Make sure you have all legal markings including the DEA nonsense serial number etc on the tail, you technically need BOTH a radio operators permit (FCC) and a radio station license (most folks forget that one), never been asked for it but still, you are flying a 206 to South America and back that’s like happening to drive by the street races in a Supra


Some copy paste for ya

Brazil landing permit

Applications for overfly permits or for landing permits where you will be making only one landing in Brazil (can be used for private flights, or commercial flights with up to 30 passengers onboard): https://sistemas.anac.gov.br/SIAVANAC/p ... ultaSP.asp Applications for landing permits where you will be making more than one landing in Brazil (can be used for private flights, or commercial flights with up to 30 passengers onboard): https://sistemas.anac.gov.br/SIAVANAC/p ... acaoPP.asp For any other flights, email ANAC.

ANAC
+55 61 3905 2555
[email protected]
[email protected]

Agent
DNATA
+55 81 3093 9393
[email protected]
[email protected]
landing $150

There have been some issues with flight plans sent online with fore flight, might be best to print it and have the FBO deliver/fax/carrier pigeon it up to the control tower…this is kinda common and is also seen in places like the Bahamas




Guyana
Getting a permit:

Landing & overflight req

Apply direct to the authorities by email. Single flights should apply by email to the address below two days in advance. For a series of flights you must give 60 days notice.

Guyana Civil Aviation Authority
+592 225 6822
+592 225 6800
[email protected]
[email protected]

"Try not to eat all the meat, nearly put myself into a few meat comas lol"

Excellent advice.! Just a PS. Deployed on a military mission to Panama in the early 80's. My wilder, more adventurous youth where I had little fear of anything. Was in Cognito down town, but have to admit, wasn't a nice part of town. I decided to sample some of the local meat on a stick, which actually tasted good. They called it "monkey meat' which I am thinking was Coati. Tasted good, but apparently wasn't! Well, needless to say, this guy was not mission ready the next day! Had a similar experience in Africa. Pepto and Imodium are a necessary item in my go-bag now.

If you have an iron stomach you might be GTG,

Hope you have an enjoyable trip and please give us a trip report.

Whatever you do, do it by the book and don't get shot down. https://www.aopa.org/travel/international-travel

Thanks guys,

Kilo, you make an interesting point. I bombed around Amazonas in a caravan a couple of times earlier this year researching this project and I noticed the reverb you were talking about but I couldn't quite figure out what was causing it. Several repeaters makes a lot of sense.

The purpose of this trip is partially the adventure of it, and also because I need to fly from a remote site to Santarem repeatedly (20-30 times) throughout the summer and this could actually save me a few bucks. Most of the local air taxis are flying Caravans and the cost adds up pretty fast.

Plus, well, I just love flying.

Sounds like a fun flight

48Stinson1083 wrote:Whatever you do, do it by the book and don't get shot down. https://www.aopa.org/travel/international-travel

Oof, yeah.. some really bad stories about that

monitor guard

I’m not sure that would have helped from these poor people from getting shot by that idiot, but when I saw attack aircraft I’d be trying to reach it on guard immediately, as well as talking to ATC, and I’d start off with “this is the American passenger aircraft N1234”

This was in Peru and apparently they learned from murdering these poor folks, but yeah I’d monitor guard for sure and make sure you got a flight plan



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Peru_shootdown

That's sickening.

My aunt took me to Bolivia to see my cousin in August of 2001 on the airlines. After arriving at Santa Cruz we took a taxi over to a small airstrip operated by SAM(South American Mission) and rode in a 206 for 2 hours south and landed at a natural gas pump station airstrip close to my cousin's farm and Villamontes. We did the return 10 days later and flew airlines to Brazil to visit an exchange student she hosted 30 yrs previous. Luis was friends with the Honda dealer who had 20 dealerships around Brazil and had a Mooney and a Rotax powered Pelican. I got a ride in the Pelican and the pilot said he would not fly in Bolivia because they shoot first and ask questions later.

180Marty wrote:My aunt took me to Bolivia to see my cousin in August of 2001 on the airlines. After arriving at Santa Cruz we took a taxi over to a small airstrip operated by SAM(South American Mission) and rode in a 206 for 2 hours south and landed at a natural gas pump station airstrip close to my cousin's farm and Villamontes. We did the return 10 days later and flew airlines to Brazil to visit an exchange student she hosted 30 yrs previous. Luis was friends with the Honda dealer who had 20 dealerships around Brazil and had a Mooney and a Rotax powered Pelican. I got a ride in the Pelican and the pilot said he would not fly in Bolivia because they shoot first and ask questions later.

I use this site a good deal with all the traveling I do

https://worldpopulationreview.com/count ... by-country

When the IQ is ≤82 be prepared for major league shenanigans, from crime to just general difficulties on or above terra firma


The one exception is china, but I think they cook the books a little, also one of the higher IQs but has a B ICI

Example

Bolivia
IQ 76
ICI D+

Peru
IQ 81
ICI C-

Compared to places I have found very easy to operate

US
IQ 97
ICI A+

South Korea
IQ 102
ICI A-


Not 100% accurate, but it’s been pretty good

I really enjoyed this book. She also took a 206 I believe.

https://amzn.to/3DsFnJp

Z, I picked up a copy - thanks!

CParker wrote:Z, I picked up a copy - thanks!

You're gonna love it. Granted, it's a snapshot in time from the 90s. Borders and governments change, but the overall recounting of her experience will be enlightening.

Flying South was a good and entertaining read. It also ended forever my dreams of flying myself in my own airplane to South America and back.