We're good to go! 18/01/2010
Mud slides due to heavy summer rains have caused death and destruction in the south-east of Brazil. But the weather Gods were finally forgiving on the 1st day of the year. The sun returned to vaporize the tears of the suffering population.  Cloud curtain in the valley of Paraiba On January the 7th and 8th we made 2 simulation flights with all the luggage and equipment that we pretend to take on our journey. This way I could get a feel of how the trike would handle at maximum take off weight and its overall performance. The 1st flight we departed from Ubatuba and climbed out at 500 ft/min to 4500 feet to cross the coastal mountain range to Pindamonhangaba (try to pronounce that…) in the valley of the Paraiba river. This place name comes from the Indian Tupi language meaning where hooks are made or, according to a different interpretation, where the river bends. Apart from some light turbulence over the mountain’s edge, the early morning flying conditions were excellent with a just a light headwind. We followed a road in the hilly terrain. The open fields in Brazil are usually very rough, with lots of bush, small creeks, ant hills and stones. A road (without much traffic) is therefore a safer landing option in case of an engine out.  Sao Luiz de Paraitinga flooded We flew overhead the historical town of São Luiz de Paraitinga, which was flooded by the river Paraitinga on New Years night. Its level had risen by 10 meters and basically destroyed the whole town. After 45 minutes we made a safe landing in Pinda. Hit the toilet for a pee, checked all equipment secure and took off for the return flight. The beauty of the thick cloud hanging in the valley like a curtain was at the same time frightening thinking of how much devastation it could cause.  Basilica Nossa Senhora Aparecida On the way back we followed the Via Dutra (the main high way between Rio and São Paulo) east bound to the city of Aparecida, famous for its huge Basilica and a pilgrim destination for Brazil’s catholic population. After having asked Maria for her blessings we turned right to Paraty, some 80 km away and 2 km lower at the foot of the Serra do Mar. The touch down on the tarmac of Paraty filled us with a feeling of confidence in the machine and our upcoming adventure to Foz do Iguaçu.  Fabiana paying attention to Manoel, maintenance technician Clube Ceu The 2nd simulation flight was a return trip along the green coast to Rio de Janeiro, partly in controlled air space. Our objective was a 25 hour revision of the Rotax engine at the maintenance shop of “Clube Ceu” . The engine was found to be in good order. The return flight was mainly offshore, going round Ilha Grande. Approximately 170 km over open water, of which 40 km without reach of the mainland… The total flown distance in 2 days was 600 km over terrain with mountains, forest, open sea and urban area: We and the machine had passed the simulation. Comments Comments are closed. | ArchivesDecember 2010 Quem Willem é holandês, vive e trabalha no Brasil desde 2005 e Fabiana é brasileira, natural do Rio de Janeiro. Willem tem voado de trike desde 2001 e já havia completado vôos pelo interior da África do Sul. Fabiana, sua esposa, tem registrado um número significativo de horas de vôo e foi exposta a vários tipos de condições de vôo também. Willem
 I learned to fly ultralights in South Africa and spent much of my time-off flying over the African bush.
After a work related transfer to Brazil late 2004, it took some time to set up since Rio de Janeiro isn't exactly like Kwazulu Natal. Determined to continue my passion, I eventually passed the exams for a license category which allows us to fly in both general and controlled airspace. Fabiana I am originally from Saquarema, the surfing capital of Rio de Janeiro state. I have logged a significant amount of flying hours and have been exposed to a wide a range of flying conditions since I first met Will 3 years ago. In flight, I take care of the photography, and assists in navigation and radio communications.
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