Professional Pilot, March 2016

Lider Aviation ground handling services include full infrastructure and support for the full range of GA aircraft and operations This hangar complex and FBO at PLU Pampulha Carlos Drummond Belo Horizonte is just one example of Lider Aviations facilities available throughout the country PROFESSIONAL PILOT March 2016 71 sition inside or outside the country and return to pick up passengers after the event Permits and airport slots for Brazil When applying for domestic permits its important to be specific as to your type of flight If you arrive as a private flight but are really operating a charter and didnt note this on the permit request penalties are possible There have been cases of flight operations being delayed and detained Landing permits can usually be obtained very quickly depending upon if youre traveling to one destination or multiple destinations within Brazil For overflight or a single stop in Brazil you can file aircraft and crew information on ANACs website and often receive a permit within 30 minutes says Lider Aviation Brazil International Ops Dir Anna Martin But if youre planning more than 1 stop in Brazil even if 1 of those is just a tech stop youll need to obtain a domestic permit from AVANAC which entails a more lengthily procedure If your online request includes all documentation requirements a domestic permit can normally be obtained within 24 hours during the workweek Documentation must be presented upon first landing in Brazil and the process of validating a domestic permit may take up to 2 hours Be aware however that if youre applying for a domestic permit during the Olympics period the lead time may be as much as 5 business days Airport slots are needed for larger airports in Brazil but these slot opportunities may not become available until a few weeks before the Olympics opening ceremony International Trip Planning Support Ops Mgr Ben Fuller says It may not be possible to confirm business aviation slots until just a couple of weeks prior to the Summer Olympics But even if youre not able to secure overnight parking at your preferred airport Brazilian authorities are usually helpful about issuing drop and go slots So at least youll be able to get your passengers to the Olympics venue area prior to repositioning to another airport in Brazil where overnight parking and flightcrew accommodations may be available Customs and immigration clearance GA flights operating to Brazil always clear customs and immigration in the main terminal usually in the same lines as scheduled commercial passengers as FBOs in Brazil are more geared toward crewmembers and passengers on domestic operations This may change in the near future however as Lider Aviation has plans to open an FBO with customs clearance facilities at GIG Clearing customs when flying business aircraft into Brazil can be a long process and this is one reason why tech stops are often not the quick turns that they may be in other countries explains World Fuel Colt Intl Sales Dir Flavia Ribas We generally suggest that crews plan on 1 to 15 hours on the ground to clear all CIQ and security screening procedures Active pilots do not require visas for Brazil However most nationalities of passengers must have visas prior to arrival as these are not obtainable on landing Martin points out that passenger visa requirements will be waived for Australian Canadian Japanese and US nationals from June through September 18th 2016 This applies to all airports in Brazil and stays of up to 90 days are permitted Be aware that yellow fever vaccination is recommended for operations to parts of northern Brazil but its seldom a requirement Avplan VP of Trip Support Russ Standefer says Qualified trip planners routinely encourage pilots and passengers to visit the CDC WHO and US State Department sites for travel advisories required vaccines virus maps and all heightened health risks Avplans standard protocol for example requires including CDC reports in flight briefings during active health warnings Traveling to Brazil with a domestic pet onboard is not usually an issue so long as an up to date health certificate and current vaccination records are provided Tech stops Depending on your routing several good tech stop opportunities are available within Brazil MAO Eduardo Gomes Intl Manaus and BEL Val de Cans Intl Belém are frequently used techs stops between Brazil and North America FOR Pinto Martins Fortaleza Intl and REC Recife Guararapes Gilberto Freyre Intl Recife are often ideal stops between Europe Middle East and Brazil and SSA Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães Intl Salvador is a popular tech stop coming over from southern Europe or Northern Africa But dont expect 45 minute quick turn stops in Brazil Average turns say international support providers ISPs are more like 60 minutes And if youre operating during a peak period of commercial activity you may be on the ground a couple of hours Security considerations Major airports in Brazil are secure and ISPs often do not usually suggest