Professional Pilot, March 2016

setting up dedicated aircraft security However its always recommended to obtain advance security briefs and to be aware of local crime and threat risks in busy public venues even during daylight hours For local transport Ribas suggests a hired car with driver who speaks your language or in some cases public taxis arranged in advance Self drive rental vehicles should be avoided due to security risks and possibly confusing road signage she says All it takes is one turn into the wrong street and you could end up in a dangerous neighborhood During the Olympic period airports in the Rio area will be highly congested ISPs recommend having 24 hr aircraft security on duty specially at all smaller regional airports as this will help minimize the risk of damage to your aircraft on the ramp Guards will also let you know right away if a security breach or fender bender incident takes place When operating to the Rio de Janeiro area security trained drivers and or armored vehicles should be hired because the road between the international airports and the popular beach and hotel areas passes through a dangerous slum district where rival criminal gangs often shoot at each other across the highway Robbery by swarms of young people can be a risk in crowded areas as can be the potential for violent theft with knives or guns and flash kidnapping where youll be escorted to various ATMs If youre going to 72 PROFESSIONAL PILOT March 2016 the beach try to stay near a lifeguard or police station and do not carry your passport jewelry or more credit cards and cash than you need Heading to Brazil Bizav operators should work with experienced and well connected ground handlers when operating to Brazil Otherwise your trip could be quite challenging in terms of local language issues as flightcrews could need to visit many different offices on the airfield to personally file flightplans and pay local currency for airport charges and fees In the case of Summer Games operations its important to have contingency plans for parking and to consider airspace exclusion zones as well as daily airport operating curfews For more on Brazilian temporary airspace restrictions for the Olympics visit http publicacoes decea gov br i publicacao id 4275 Drop and goes are usually permitted at Rio de Janeiro airports but restrictions that may be in place during the Olympics are unknown at this time says Ellis Drop and go options will be impacted by exclusion zones around certain airports as well as airport curfew periods We recommend having alternate options ready when traveling to Brazil during the Olympics particularly for short notice trips Certain operational risks will be inevitable when planning trips to the Rio de Janeiro area for the Olympics Services and delay potential Particularly during the Olympics period high levels of traffic and ramp congestion will be inevitable Operators should expect longer than usual delays in fuel delivery catering uplifts aircraft services and customs clearances At least 48 hours prior notice should be provided for catering requests Fueling on arrival rather than departure may be best practice at some destinations in order to avoid delays Operating tips Its important that you carry all original documentation and that both PIC and SIC have proof of type ratings and first class medicals GA services and infrastructure are very good at most airports but be aware that ATC personnel at smaller locations may prefer to speak in Portuguese and airport security may be an issue Its rare to have issues with fuel uplifts and credit is seldom problematic but its recommended to carry fuel releases when operating to Brazil Youll need to book crew accommodations now but parking and slot options will not be known for some time As hotel booking will likely be non refundable youll take a hit if parking and slot confirmations do not come through But if you wait to book hotels until after youve obtained slots and parking it will likely be too late We recommend having contingency plans ready and thinking outside the box in order to coordinate successful trips to the area Be prepared to be flexible and to pay the big bucks when needed At minimum you should be able to drop and go and reposition to an alternate or back to home base concludes Fuller Editor at Large Grant McLaren has written for Pro Pilot for over 20 years and specializes in corporate flight department coverage An arriving US national has his fingerprints scanned at GRU Guarulhos São Paulo Customs clearance in Brazil can involve more time than in other countries In most cases GA passenger clearance is conducted along the same lines used for scheduled commercial airline passengers