Leg 29 Itaipu International (SGIB) > Santos Dumont (SBRJ) Rio De Janero

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

Back in the saddle after a fruitless search for a local dentist, after waking up with a blazing hot canine my plans for a Next Day leg got hobbled. It turns out that not even in Paraguay can one find a dentist willing to install a DentiCal approved pre-manufactured crown...but that is an entirely different saga.  

 

After liberally dousing my searing tooth with benzocaine, washing down a few aceto's with tequila'cain, and applying a coating of clove oil to top off the preflight for my tooth...I preflight the F-100D and set forth on the second of two legs. Other than a cranky tooth, this will hopefully be another uneventful pleasure cruise and scenic PIREP...again, calamari free till dinner time in Rio this time.

 

This is a mere flight of less than 700 miles, so I am planning to dog leg it to the coast unannounced while VFR'ing my way to Rio, for more views of the lovely coast (My flight plan called for a straight shot across land to Rio de Janeiro...however that sounded boring with a tantalizing coastline just "right over there"...but I for one do not wish to advertise that I am approaching a coastline for reasons that don't need reexplaining after many thousands of words in the last sectors I flew). Again there is a cell of weather to transverse between Itaipu and the coast, and some low clouds may be moving into Rio by the time I arrive. On departure it is lovely and mostly clear...I'll take a moment to have a look at the local wonder, the Itaipu hydroelectric dam project, on the way out of here.

 

After getting taxi clearance: "Use runway 3 to 21"

 

Take off approved and I'm off.

 

After a heavy feeling but stall free sashay around to port I head over the dam

Well...DAMn. Regrettably the Itaipu dam is not modeled in ORBx South America, or my settings are messed up. Rats if the former, apologies if the later.

 

I was expecting to see something there, it's only like the world's largest hydroelectric producer:

Not wishing to violate any image permissions or plagiarize, I'll share this link to a Wiki article on the pretty amazing project, it's worth a look:  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itaipu_Dam

 

I begin my climb to cruising altitude as i pass over this huge man made lake, kinetic power source, and agricultural powerhouse. My cruise height will be just 30,000 today, lower once I approach the coastline for a better look.

 

Passing the Iguaçu National Park

 

I generally follow the Iguazu river towards the coastline.

 

 

I'm at my cruise height, and wondering if it will be enough...might have to do some cloud avoidance even up here today.

 

A little forker down there.

 

 

I sure don't mind zig zagging around clouds at this speed, especially when they are this pretty.

 

 

 

I also Love LoVe LOVE it when the clouds layer up nicely like this:

 

All to soon the coastline hoves into view down below the layers, and it is time to come out of them.

Descending over Santos, Sao Paulo 

 

 

I take some liberties with my approach assignment to come around the back side of Christ the Redeemer, the iconic mega statue overlooking this iconic Brazilian city...thank GOD this was rendered in the sim, or thank ORBx as the case may be.

 

Then over the (rather poorly misplaced) Maracanã stadium/former olympic venue...currently apparently competing for space on the local freeway and adding to traffic jams no doubt.

 

The misty weather discombobulates my depth perception and I am clearly to high for the first landing attempt, go around...and take the op to have a look at another scenic just ahead.

 

Sight of a helicopter cable hook payload mission in FSX, Sugarloaf Mountain is part of a National Park and World Heritage site. A Glassed cable car runs every 20 minutes along a 1400 meter cable carrying 65 passengers per ride, or, you could hike up...I'll wait for the cable car up, and walk down, thanks. Again, a Wiki link to a better more thorough description of this sight/site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarloaf_Mountain

 

Then I work/crawl my way around the bay in the mist for another attempt at putting this leg to rest.

 

Looking much better this time:

 

Some lucky ferry passengers got some extra value from their ride today, if they were looking up from their phones...

 

Chute deployed

 

Taxi to parking

 

Woosh...the engines are flamed out, and another leg bites the dust. This looks like a terrific spot for a short layover for this pilot. I'll have a look around for Tim and if he isn't here yet, I'll be vacationing for a few days at least to get the opportunity to pass the baton along in person. If not, I'll find a THRUSH operative in the area to pass the bus station locker key along if I miss you.

 

 

Thanks for flying along these legs with me, I hope the Clove Oil was a welcome change of scent. I'm sure the lack of many thousands of words was at least.  

 

Matt/Coff.

 

Edited March 10, 2018 by Captain Coffee

[Tim_A 997]

I'm in the bar having a preflight snack with my route briefing. Just tip the concierge ands she'll show you. I'll be the one with Stella and stella, and a big map . . . 

[rosariomanzo 545]

Nice scenic flight, I see it's easy to reach the Maracana by car.

[brett 2,316]

Lot's to see at the end of this flight and great shots of it all, well done Matt.

 

I'm sure you will find a more qualified Dentist there, feel better soon.

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

Thanks all for your kind comments. It was nice to relax the Fiction Fingers and just enjoy a couple scenic VFR legs and kick the baton down the road a bit further.

[mutley 4,498]

Love your choice of aircraft Coff, thanks for taking on the last two flights we are really cruising now!

 

[Tim_A 997]

<Company Channel>

Calling Mike: Calling Mike. I need you to meet me on the apron at Sucre! I've had c CRJ trailing 7 miles off my starboard wing for the last 400 miles. FlightBeware lists as ACME-75, which is one of Putinfeld's regular callsigns, so somehow we've been made, I reckon. Gonna firewall the throttle and hope to get in before him - or run out of fuel in the process!

It's gonna be close . . .

</Company Channel>

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Great leg again Matt!

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

On 3/12/2018 at 15:00, Tim_A said:

<Company Channel>

Calling Mike: Calling Mike. I need you to meet me on the apron at Sucre! I've had c CRJ trailing 7 miles off my starboard wing for the last 400 miles. FlightBeware lists as ACME-75, which is one of Putinfeld's regular callsigns, so somehow we've been made, I reckon. Gonna firewall the throttle and hope to get in before him - or run out of fuel in the process!

It's gonna be close . . .

</Company Channel>

 

 

Doon Doon Doon Doooooooon...

Gotta love cliff hangers, unless you are the one hanging from the cliff.... Good luck and Godspeed Tim, wherever you are... 

[Goblin 51]

On 3/12/2018 at 18:00, Tim_A said:

<Company Channel>

Calling Mike: Calling Mike. I need you to meet me on the apron at Sucre! I've had c CRJ trailing 7 miles off my starboard wing for the last 400 miles. FlightBeware lists as ACME-75, which is one of Putinfeld's regular callsigns, so somehow we've been made, I reckon. Gonna firewall the throttle and hope to get in before him - or run out of fuel in the process!

It's gonna be close . . .

</Company Channel>

Roger that!  I'm there.  I've got something up my sleeve that they will never suspect!  Just as soon as I dig out from all this snow I've been hiding in.

 

Matt, those screen shots are fantastic -- love the thunderjet!

[hlminx 301]

Brilliant PIREP and some stunning pics. Nice to see ORBX has made a good job of Rio even if there are a few misplaced items. I was looking hard to see if I could spot Roger Moore sliding down the cable at the sugar loaf mountain but alas that wasn't modelled..