Navaids in Brazil

[aiellosky]

Hey there
Is there any ILS in use in Brazil? for IFR approaches.
What type of approaches are in use? DME? VOR?
Thanks
Luis

[Panama Jack]

:oh:

This is a joke, right???

I believe Brazil recently advanced and installed their first LF Range transmitters. The smudgepots and bonfires on designated airways were unreliable for all-weather operations, and international environmental pressure was mounting.
Additionally, following coastlines and rivers was suitable only on certain routes.

I understand the LF Range transmitters were acquired at bargain basement prices from other country's scrap yards and aviation museums.

A Brazilian pilot friend tells me there is mounting pressure from airlines like VARIG and GOL for the government to install Non-Directional Beacons (NDB's). The US Government, through US AID, is offering 15 surplused NDB's in rumored exchange for the Brazilian authorities to stop fingerprinting and photographing US Citizen visitors.

Now in all seriousness, maybe this chart will help you:

Latin America Approach Charts (https://164.214.2.62/products/digitalaero/terminals/termindex.cfm?versionname=V0509&regionname=CARIBBEAN_SOUTH_AMERICA)

[aiellosky]

so..
all they got is NDB's.....and VOR/ DME's
What about GPS approaches??
Is it in use in Brasil?
Do you know where can I find online a few more approaches plates for brazilians airports?
thanks
Luis

[NZLeardriver]

I can see some ILS`s on there.
Where do you want to go? Brazil is a big place. Why are you only interested in an ILS?
Have you tried your local pilot shop to get some approach plates?

[Panama Jack]

Jeppesen is the international clearing house for Instrument Procedure information.

As a company, they don't give it away for free, of course. Check the Jeppesen Website (http://www.jeppesen.com/wlcs/application/commercewf?origin=category.jsp&event=link(browse)&wlcs_catalog_sourceKey=wlcs_categories&wlcs_catalog_destinationKey=wlcs_siblings&wlcs_catalog_category_id=CNS2A2I) for information. Supposedly, a Brazil Trip Kit (one time charts, without ammendment service) fills two 2-inch Jepp Binders and costs $77 USD.

Don't know about the status of RNAV (GPS) Approaches in Brazil. I can tell you that many countries have not implimented RNAV (GPS) Approaches for public use, although they may have been approved on an operator by operator basis-- in which case you will not find them furnished to you by Jepp or NGA.

[alemaobaiano]

After getting over the shock of the initial question :confused: my reaction was the same as Panama Jacks. Nice answer :ok:

Almost all major and regional airports have ILS approaches, along with VOR/DME approaches. GPS approaches are not yet approved here (and in quite a few other countries outside the US) and will not be published on any charts that I am aware of.

There aren't many free charts available.

You can get charts at www.dac.gov.br although you have to subscribe to do so. There is a lot of useful information about aviation in Brazil on that site.

Your initial question seemed to assume that Brazil lacked a modern aviation infrastructure, which is a long way from the truth. Aviation in Brazil has a long and distinguished history right back to the days of Alberto Santos Dumont. Embraer is one of the worlds leading aircraft manufacturers, and some of our new airports are fantastic. Because of the size of the country air travel has always been important and because of that the facilities are very good. The airspace over São Paulo is one of the most congested in the world, with helos, bizjets, private pilots, and airline traffic.

A simple search on the internet would have avoided asking what appears to be a dumb question.

[aiellosky]

Alemao e Panama
THanks a lot for the info
But i think that Alemao didnt understand that Panama said that Brazil lack of Navaids....im not sure.
Anyway...i am a Brazilian pilot that got all my licenses in the US and i am thinking about to go back to Brasil...so i am just trying to know a bit of the airspace and IFR procedures down there.
I appreciate the replies
Luis

[alemaobaiano]

Luis

The reason for your request is now clear, but perhaps you could have given the reasons before? Your initial post came across as condescending and vague, whereas you had a genuine reason for the question. :D

I have been working in and around aviation since smudge pots were used :rolleyes: and I fondly remember working with NDBs back in the old days, so I did understand that Panama Jack was joking.

The DAC site and Infraero have plenty of information that could be useful to you.

Cheers

[sgt_pepper]

Brazil is a land of contrasts. You can find some airports with modern landing procedures including GPS approaches (SBRJ and SBJV, for example) however you can be getting the largest international airport (SBGR) using a NDB for landing procedure (yes, ADF)… it happened last month because the ILS for the current runway was out of service (you could ask… what about the VOR (BCO)? It will be unserviceable until November).

[VARIG737]

All major Brazilian airports have ILS app (cat I), but only 3 of them have cat II app (GIG, GRU, CWB). I believe that POA could use cat II sometimes during the winter, but it seems that the airport surroundings doesn’t qualify for a cat II approval by Brazilian authorities. Varig uses GPS app at Rio (SDU) and sometimes at Sao Paulo, Curitiba and Joinville (CGH, CWB, JOI). Some of the secondary airports have ILS cat I app (SJK, VCP), but the rest of them...... VOR/DME, NDB, and sometimes LOC.