Internation flying.

[swimmer]

position awareness is twice as important down there and just because a controller says something be careful about doing it- they have been known to run people into mountains at a much higher rate than their American counterparts........

also flying internationally when a controller says cleared to some point that doesnt necessarily mean present position direct like here in usa.

 

[A Squared]

>>>nobodys gonna shoot ya down, heck, half the time they dont even want to talk to you!

Well actually, there are places in Africa and South America where they *will* shoot you down, although they are doing it for different reasons in Africa than in South America. In South Americas *they* are doing it at the insistence of and with the active assistence of the US state department. For those of us with short memories, it wasn't that long ago that there was a bill in Congress proposing shooting down suspected drug planes in the US also.


regards

 

[80/20]

I have a friend who was on an intended flight from South America to Miami where he got intercepted and forced to land in Belize because of flight plan discrepancies. He got serious problems in Belize.

I strongly recommend using the systems and publications as intended. Charts are fine for enroute operational information, but they often lack important information not directly related to navigation. The nations of the world have made a system for how information should be distributed through NOTAMs/AIP/AIM/IFM and so on (see my posting above). Those that fly for large airlines don't need to worry about it and may never see an AIP or IFM because a central navigation or dispatch office will sift through all these publications and pass on the essential information. Those that don't have this luxury can either get the books or just fly and solve problems as they appear. One can often get away with a lot of discrepancies - but not always.

 

[scubabri]

The IFM I found on the FAA web site reads like stereo instructions, but I think I got the jist of it. What's your opinion, better to fly IFR or VFR?

We flew down to Colombia via Bahamas -> Turks -> Dominican Republic -> Aruba VFR and didn't have much problem, other than sometimes finding the right person who wanted to talk to us. But personally, I think it would be easier to fly IFR, but I don't know

Brian

 

[80/20]

I prefer IFR for Intl. flying.

 

[slickmagneto]

SHOTS?

I delivered a new airplane in Manauss and flew on to Sao Paulo, Brazil in Oct. 02 and no one mentioned any thing about Yellow Fever shots. Is this new?

 

[Gulfstream 200]

I dont think the yellow fever shot requirement is anything new......and I don think its even critical in populated areas like Rio, S Paulo, Brasilia, etc....but Manaus?? dammm..that place reminds me of Indiana Jones Movies...

Either way it is required, now weather anyone checks or not.....who knows....I have only had to produce verification ONCE. But I understand if you dont have it, they will give it to you, then quarrantine you for 10 days. NICE. Certainly worth just getting one if you plan on going down there...I belive they are good for 15 yrs.

OH, sorry about the getting shot down question.....I was assuming we are all going IFR with decent handlers...I do recall a cessna getting shot down on some VFR mercenary flight a few years back in Columbia....VFR around Columbia...thats pretty F'n smart....oh well.

 

[Dan CFI/CFII]

I've run into serious problems with the Yellow fever card in Sao Paolo. They're seriously strict about it there. I didn't even need to leave the airport, but I had to leave the transit lounge, and there was NO WAY they would allow that to happen. I even asked if someone could escort me around the airport--and both the airport security and the disease prevention guys said they absolutely could not do that.

I've been checked for it every time I've flown into Brazil. Of course, I've also entered and they never even knew I was in the country. Of course, that was by ground transport.

My guess is that it's even tighter now with SARS out there. I'm amazed at that, I've got just about any vaccination you can think of, and I have certificates to prove it, but I didn't have the yellow fever certificate they were looking for... nuts.

Dan