Going Brazilian, Navy Style [2004]
http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/hangar/...o/saopaulo.htm
"...When the A-4s entered service, the Marinha do Brasil had no experience with jet operations on a carrier. To help bring the pilots, maintenance crew and deck handling personnel up to speed, Kay & Associates Inc, based in Arlington Heights, Illinois, was hired in a consulting role. Commander Francis, USN (Ret.), is one of the last remaining advisors on board the carrier, serves as landing signal officer. Under his tutelage the former helicopter pilots shown great progress in learning to operate on board the smallest carrier for conventional aircraft in the world, with the narrowest and shortest runway.
The first A-4 pilots were recruited from the helicopter squadrons and sent to Uruguay and Argentina for basic training in the T-34 Mentor (future A-4 pilots will start their training with the Brazilian air force). They then traveled to NAS Meridian, Missouri, for carrier training with Training Squadron 7 in the T-45 Goshawk. Brazil’s first Skyhawk pilot became the last pilot to earn his wings on the TA-4J at NAS Meridian, and landed the first A-4 on São Paulo in July 2001. During a two-week training cruise in September 2002, the fifth since the ship entered service, the total of qualified jet pilots reached eight...."