To Brazil and Back

As an Avionics Lead I’m usually am the one organizing trips for my technicians to go on, but since we have had a shortage in technicians as most had come back from trips and needed a break, I figured it was my time to go out and see what a work trip was like. Besides I was one of the few ones with a Brazilian approved work visa so I guess I didn’t have much choice.

This particular job had been accomplished already on a previous helicopter that we had at our main hangar in Boundary Bay. So this modification was to be completed in Macae Brazil at one of our bases there. I hope you enjoy my story.

Well it all starts with a flight out of Vancouver on a cool morning.

I had upgrade my flight to biz class to get through the line up quicker with less stress and for the leg room I needed. ( it was only $150 for the upgrade, well worth it). The upgrade also allowed me to enjoy the benefits of Continental Airlines presidential lounge at Houston Texas as I had a 7.5 hour layover till my connecting flight to Rio de Janerio.

The flight to Rio was a 10.5 hour trip and I didn’t get to upgrade to biz on this leg, although I did pay for extra leg room which may of meant something to someone if they were under 6 feet tall. At 6’5″ the extra leg room only meant I could get out of my seat without giving the guy next to me a lap dance!

My tech and I arrive in Rio around 9:30am Sunday morning and got through Brazil customs with no worries as we do have all the right visas. We pick up are bags and the first thing I notice is that my TSA approved lock has been tampered with. I take a quick peak inside and it appears that everything in my tool box is still there so we head out to arrival area to find our company provided taxi. Hmmmm, the taxi guy is not there?? So a few phone calls to the executive secretary in Rio and the tech manager at the base in Macae our taxi driver finally arrives an hour later.

Side story. There are three of us heading to the base in Brazil, myself and the other avionics tech flew on Continental and the third mechanic flew on American Airlines. We were all dew to arrive in Rio within a half hour of each other. On our arrival and taxi fiasco we realized that the mechanic’s plane had not arrived yet and wasn’t due to get to Rio until that evening now. We scheduled a taxi for him and got in ours and off we drove to Macae Brazil.

As I said before always remember to look up.

Well we get to Macae and into our hotel and everything is as it should be. The hotel Internet seems to work okay (really how did we ever get by without Internet) and the rooms are very nice. The tech manager picks us up and takes us to a place near for some beers and we discuss how the modification to the helicopter is coming and what we are going to try and accomplish.

Monday morning we head to work and see our awaiting prize in an already state of disrepair.

Even though I am the senior member on this trip it was the plan all along to have a my Avionics tech really run the show and I would just put my head down and work. Okay I was always available to discuss the business matters but other than that it was Jordan’s show.

It is always good to put the biggest guy in the smallest place so I would live in the tail boom and electrical bay for the next three weeks.

The job was to remove the non used equipment and install an AC system and some other safety items and the net weight increase would be nil or even less.

We worked 6 days the first week at 10 hours a day took Sunday off to given your body and mind a break then pressed on till we ran out of parts or were exhausted and needed another day off. Well it was always the parts that stopped us but that is a whole other blog.

I did manage to go on a test flight for another helicopter we had operating there and clicked a few pictures from the flight.

This was the peninsula of Buzios it is the resort spot of Brazil

Our hotel on the test flight back

My favorite mountain in Macae.

As I said getting parts into the country is a large problem and the Brazilian rules are very strict so at one point we pretty much ran out of stuff to do. We had enough little items to get us through the third Saturday but we decided to take a day and go see Buzios as we were told the beaches there were fantastic. We headed out after work on Saturday and spent the night at a little hotel in Buzios and were not disappointed with the waves and beaches at all.

Geriba beach has the some of the best surfing waves.

We had some great times body surfing and finally left the beach in the mid afternoon and headed back to Macae and work for Monday.

Monday turned out to a great day as most of the parts we needed arrived and gave several items to finish off so power could be applied. We did the continuity checks and power on checks and that pretty much wrapped up my last week in Macae.

Finished rear pallet

Next stop before going home Rio de Janeiro.

Well what can be said about Rio that hasn’t been said many times before? The place is all hustle and bustle. I was very glad to have a driver navigate the streets to our hotel.

With some time to kill in Rio before my flight home Saturday evening I thought I would knock off the tourist things while I was here. Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) and Sugarloaf mountain (Pão de Açúcar) here I come.

Well they are as you would expect – incredible to see in person.

With the touristy things completed it was off to the airport and take my night flight back home. Odd thing, when I arrived in Houston for my connecting flight my exiting gate was right next to the gate where my Vancouver flight was waiting. However I had to traverse through the entire airport to clear customs then head back the area I just left!

Incoming B767 and outgoing B737 rides!

Hope you enjoyed the trip

Stay tuned round two “Back to Brazil” is coming

cheers everyone

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