2-July-2011 Cartagena - Pedasi, Panama

From Cartagena a 2 hour flight to Panama, Marcos Gelabert


first view of Panama, Darien area



Landing Runway 36 Marcos Gelabert, final between hills, with the Panama Canal on your left

Releatively easy entry into Panama, avgas, food at the airport. From there visual to Pedasi

and on to Playavenao, the Surfers' Mecca of Central America. Stayed there with our cousin Susi, Sophie and her friends - we miss you!

30-Jun-2011, El Yopal - Cartagena

Wanted to depart El Yopal at 10 am, but made it barely at 3 pm, courtesy of Aerocivil. El Yopal was not on our original route, and we had to send a signed petition to the boss of Aerocivil to grant us the right to continue. While this delayed us, I was still impressed we received the ok after just 4 hours, not 4 days... (recommend you brush up your Spanish before flying into Colombia).

El Yopal, climbed immediately out to 12,500 feet to cross one of the 11,000 or so passes along a chain of mountains showing some 15k in the area. At climbout, saw just clouds, but when reaching (always in VMC) 12k, we saw some decent holes, to cross the chain safely. The terrain function of the GPS is a great tool, but obviously only an assistance, you never want to lose VMC in that area...

These Andean peaks are about 11,000ft (3600m)

Crossed near Sogamosa (which has an airstrip, in case things get bad), from there I had identified a long valley descending all the way to Bucaramanga, where the plains open toward the Caribbean Sea. Had to descend quickly to under 8000 ft, as flying above was very choppy due to the mountain waves. Nice scenic flying, compared to the Alps (or the arid Andes further south, Chile, Bolivia), here the mountains are green and lush almost up the peaks.



Bucaramanga

From Buca to Cartagena still about 2 hours, over big rivers, ponds and lakes, all VFR (as single engine planes cannot file IFR in Colombia)

Turning final at Cartagena 

Cartagena is worth the whole trip! The old colonial city is great, with all its fortifications, mansions, churches, but not made for tourists, but for locals to live in.

29-Jun-2011 Leticia - El Yopal

From Leticia, 3 and a half hours to San Jose del Guaviare, the only and obvious fuel stop along this route. Very friendly reception there, food and fuel at the aiport, and a helpful one-man show on the tower sorting out my meteorology (how to get around the thunderstorms) and FPL.

The bord mechanic (they have one all the time on bord) of this DC3 fixed the cowl flaps of my Cessna in 5 minutes, just before we departed .

Flight plan was to cross the Andes near Sogamoso, but low hanging clouds and possibly embedded TS made me take the decision to divert to the closest airport south of the mountains: El Yopal SKYP. As always in Colombia, here you don't have to worry about the security of your flying asset, military guards everywhere...

28 June 2011 Rio Branco - Leticia, Colombia

Choose again IFR, as low clouds, and made an IMC approach to Rwy 21 to the capital of the Colombian Amazon province. Saw the great river (and, luckily, the runway) just on short final, after getting out of about 1000ft low clouds. Great reception in Leticia, security, Aerocivil, Police, military, looked like a state visit!

Also, before entering Colombia (for more than 48 hours) you have to send the form found on http://portal.aerocivil.gov.co/portal/page/portal/Aerocivil_Portal_Internet/home_tramites/Empresas_aeron%E1uticas/empresas_aeronauticas , attach required aircraft and pilot doc scans, and get a reply. Call them on +5714251000, ask for Operaciones Aereas, and follow up. Spanish helps, but some will be proud to show off their English. Don't take manana for an answer. In your formal request, include as many airports on your route as feasible. We had to divert before an Andes crossing due to low clouds, and the alternate was not on the list requested. We got stuck, and only high-level intervention (with a Tenente Coronel) got us out of there. Also important to get approval from DIAN, the Customs authority. This is more complicated, requiring the use a of a local broker, as a bond has to be posted. Your plane may be impounded if this procedure is not followed!

In Colombia, we got accustomed to the police dogs at every airport, sniffing around our bags and into the plane. Also, never felt so safe, on all airfields, our plane was guarded by heavily armed military.
The local head of Aerocivil, Julio Cesar (in the blue dress), was a great help and guide for us, gracias amigo!
Leticia has no AvGas, at least officially. But JC found some, at horrendous prices, but better to have some reserves before you cross another 500nm of jungle with no alternatives.

Leticia is an interesting place, links straight into Tabatinga, the Brazilian outpost, and a Peruvian town on the other shore of the great river.

Stayed at the fashionable Decameron Hotel, and where greeted by the famous "Tarzan of the Amazon".
In Leticia, I had also troubles with money: the ATM didn't take foreign cards, and the Cambios only accepted "new" unmarked pristine Dollar notes. Was hard to find a few of those in my stack.

Before leaving,  Monica and Veronika had to get their exit stamped in Brazil, to get an entry into Colombia. Fortunately, the Brazilian police station is just 5 minutes across town!

27 Jun 11 Porto Velho - Rio Branco

As Porto Velho has no customs, had to continue either Tabatinga or Rio Branco. As it was getting too late for the earlier, Rio Branco became our destination. IFR, with a VOR DME approach into RWY24.
 Rio Branco revealed to be a nice town. Stayed at the Terra Verde Hotel, near the riverside "Passarela" (see pic, at night) and the Parque da Maternidade (where we did our jogs / walks - 6km through the city).

But surprise, they didn't want to refuel my plane. No fuel for foreign aircraft, neither Shell nor Petrobras wanted to touch our plane. Instructions from Receita Federal. Had to see Mr. Sergio Amaral, in town, at the Tax Office, to get release, and finally Shell gave me the liquid I needed to cross the Amazon. Receita Federal also stamped my TEAT, so I could leave Brazil, and have no troubles next time I come. I kept a copy of the certificate, just in case.

26 June 2011 Cuiaba - Porto Velho

Mixed VFR - IFR plan.

Departed Santa Rita VFR, and became IFR with IMC 3 minutes after takeoff, through a thick layer of clouds vectored by the Cuiaba controller. 20kt headwind, soon I realized we wouldn't reach Rio Branco, our filed destination, with sufficient fuel reserve. After about 2hs, requested direct Porto Velho, our alternate. Got ok, despite no airway. More headwind, but made it with sufficient reserves to Porto Velho, almost 6hours in the plane. At SBPV, still made the full ILS approach to Rwy 19.

In Porto Velho, stayed at Vila Rica, expensive and run down. Building a new hotel (Novotel?) next to Vila Rica, hope for a better option late 2012... Only nice restaurant in town is Caravelas do Madeira, we were there on an earlier visit, this time closed (Sunday and Monday)

25 June 2011 Araras - Jatai - Cuiaba

Refuelling in Araras, ready for 4000 nm!

Visual flight from Araras to Jatai, good place to refuel plane and passengers! No Infraero. No fees.
Then on to Cuiaba over interesting terrain

Cuiaba: recommend Estancia Santa Rita, no Infraero, nice and clean FBO. Stayed at Deville Hotel, nicely located, but overpriced. Nice place to hang out for a beer and meal is the Praca Popular, nearby.