How are things going now in Brazil??

[AeroBoero]

Can someone please give me a light on the latest developments down there? I am completely out of the loop right now and would be thankful for any news!

Alguêm pode dizer como estão indo as coisas por a'?

Regards ;

AB

[Zandor]

The latest news:
This week a Navajo crashed after a reject landing on rwy 35, at Congonhas. Only the pilot died.
Other Navajo crashed after a rwy overrun, at Bacacheri. Minor injuries only.
Varig is almost closing a deal with Airbus. Likely B767-200 will be replaced for new A330.
New pilots will start training at Gol. Classes start tomorrow (June 11). There will be 6 Captains and 4 F/O.

[AeroBoero]

Gol still getting people..that's good (news)!

A Navajo at Bacacheri? Was it a local?

[Quasar]

Boero.
I've heard that Varig is putting on hold without salaries (again) their flight attendants. Who will be the next?
Rio-Sul has canceled the purchase of 15 ERJ-145s due to new government policies with taxes.
TAM has a new flight to Frankfurt and put their employees wearing ridiculous German clothes and accessories at all airports.
You rarely hear the Transbrasil call sign on ATCs.
Don't worry mate. Nothing has changed.
Cheers.
Quasar

[AeroBoero]

At least someone is still following traditions...when I moved out from Brazil , all FD-crew had to use that red shirt (even EasyJet around here hadn't gone that far to attract clients).But...
As for RG , humm again people on "non-remunerated" license. Last time some pilots flew here for Transavia while on license..is this happening again?

Cheers & Thanxs ;

AB

[This message has been edited by AeroBoero (edited 13 June 2001).]

[Mad Dog 11]

Let me make things clear. The rumors about people being laid off is not true. By the way, rumors had it that only FA were going to be laid off but the company has decided otherwise. Varig will only lay off its employees if and only if the company is about to go under, which is not the case. As far as pilots are concerned they have a new hire class every month until at least September. The only problem seems to be the dollar shooting up. RG has confirmed the arrival of 2 777, 2 737-700 and 2 737-800 with winglets. They have to grow in order not to allow TAM to grow further in the international routes. They now have flights from Belem and Manaus to Miami. Things certainly are changing but they are by far different from a few years ago.
Transbrasil will probably eventually fold. Vasp is still flying with those old 200s but will still be around. As far as Gol, there seems to be quite a market for growth. Things are different folks but definitely not bad.

MD11

[Hung start]

Hey Mad Dog 11,

What makes you say that TBA will eventually fold, and VASP survive?? I´ve been out of Brazil for a while, but from what I can read in magazines :) , It looks like VP is in deep trouble.
I do hope that TBA makes it. Have good friends there.

Say, do you think there´s any chance that RG is considering going Airbus on shorthaul too??
And whats your look at some "intercambio" in Star Alliance :) .....I´d really really love to switch jobs with a RG pilot for a period.

Rgds Hung start

[Mad Dog 11]

Hung Start,

To answer your questions, VASP owns the vast majority of its fleet. They don't have to spend a whole lot of money with leasing. On the other hand Transbrasil doesn't own any aircraft and they have to pay large amounts of money in leases. After Omar Fontana's death it is evident how the company's situation started to decline. The new president seems to interested in making money for himself. As far as Vasp is concerned, Canhedo is still the president and the bastard is still alive. He has too many private property tied to the company which he doesn't want to lose. This doesnt mean that they will do all right. I know for fact that they are losing a lot of pilots to other companies. Everyone there is tired of the boss. The company itself was an excellent company to work for.

As far as Varig, it appears that the Airbus deal was to pressure Boeing into giving them a good deal, but Boeing can't match Airbus's offer and it looks like they will go with the 330's to sub the 767's. As far as short sectors this is also a probability but Varig does have some commitments for 737's.

As far as switching jobs I have no idea if this is possible at all. Haven't heard much and maybe you could inform me on such aspect.

Hope I could be of help.

MD11

[Young Pilot - YP]

Aero Boero|Hung Start,

As I can see both of you worked in Brazil and now are flying in Europe (Which airline, if you don't mind ...). That's exactly what I want to do in the future (within 2 or 3 years).
I would like to know what airlines recruit foreign pilots (well, I have an European Citizenship, does it get easier to enter) and the steps I should take to reach my objective.
I'm 21 years old. Right now I'm finishing my Degree and within 3 months I will have finished my Multi-Engine IFR licence.
Please, I know you have experience, so help this guy with some useful information !
Thanks
Oh, you can e-mail me if you want !

[Hung start]

Young pilot,

I´d be happy to provide you with some info. But I don´t know if it would be any useful to you, as I´m from Denmark, and flying for SAS. But my wife is from Brazil, she used to fly there as a cabin attendant, and I worked for Transbrasil as an instructor on TBA´s flightacademy in Congonhas in the early nineties. I love Brazil, and go there at least once a year, to visit "my" large family in Natal.
But I´ll be happy to tell you what I know, here or via e-mail, up to you.

MD11, thanks for the answers. The VP/TBA case makes more sense to me now. I didn´t know that Vasp owns their airplanes. I´ve read all I could about Canhedo during the last 10 years. Mafia is the word that springs to mind. I have another friend who is, or was, a Captain on 737 at Vasp. I haven´t spoken to him for a few years, but I know that he thought the company was a good one to work for. That was until they threw him and other pilots on the street, with no reason and no money to follow. He was taken back in after 1 year, when the situation in the company got better, but after all these latest stories about impounding of VP´s airplanes, I don´t know anymore.
Regarding my "dream". We´re in the Star Alliance together, and it´s been seen before that companies "borrow" or exchange pilots when needed and possible. Many SAS pilots have had " tours of duties " in ex. Eva Air, Thai Airways etc etc. And I know, that the pilot unions in the Star Alliance are holding open the doors, to deals like this. Nothing concrete has been dealt with yet though. But it would certainly be just another benefit from the Star Alliance, if we could " borrow " ( already rated ) pilots from eachother when needed, or just some "intercambio" :) Wouldn´t that be fun??
Rgds. Hung start.

[Young Pilot - YP]

Hung Start,
Thanks for reply my question. So you are not from Brasil like I thought, but if your wife is from B. and you love the country ... that's enough !
Please, send me an e-mail ([email protected]) telling me something about how can I start my carreer to get what I would like to. I know that this is a little difficult ...
I would like to work for companies like Ryanair or GO(maybe there should be others in EU but I don't know, is there a chance ...
What about Italy, do you know something ...
Will I have to convert my licenses ...
I heard they require "high standard of English" is that true ... so it's just for British Pilots ...
Well... as you can see there are many questions ... well fell free to write me just what you want, Thanks again ...

[downfourgreen]

Hello folks,
Once again Transbrasil has a large debt with GE, more than U$20 million. GE arrested last year 6 B737. This week I read that GE took a B767 and 2 more 76's are out of service due poor maintenance. Employees are waiting for their salaries and likely a strike or any other kind of protest against work conditions will be programmed for this month. Dark clouds are over there and I feel that something terrible will happen. I've some friends working for TBA and they're very upset by the bad news. With an operating fleet of less than 12 airplanes and with a long lasting economic problems in Brazil I am not sure that they will survive for a long time. Anyway let's wait.

[Hung start]

Young pilot, I´ll mail you within long. Isn´t going to be in the next 3-4 days though, as Mrs Hung start is travelling, and your truly is alone with 3 children :D

downfourgreen, thanks for info. I really hope that all concerned airlines head towards better times. But doubt it. Sounds crazy, but maybe the country isn´t big enough for 4 airlines. Although much bigger than Europe, the percentage of the population that travels regularly isn´t impressive I guess.

Anybody know if JAA (European) pilots can convert their licences into Brazilian within a reasonable time??? i.e the opposite of what young pilot wants..

[AeroBoero]

Young Pilot ;

I will e-mail you , but not in this or the other week as I have round 2 of the ATPL theory!

Hung ;

Long time no see you here! How is your "new" arrival doing (well I know it's not new anymore...)?
Have you tried the DAC page? DAC (http://www.dac.gov.br)
Anyway..I know it's easier with an FAA license (which I suppose you still have somewhere in you house).

Best wishes to all... :D

[Hung start]

Aeroboero,

good "seeing" you around here again. Not very often i pop in on "Latin America", since most of the times I´ve checked, not much was going on.. Glad to see a thread on Brasil again.
Junior is doing great thanks. 11 months old, and just took his first solo steps yesterday.
How´s the big terrible JAA thing coming along. And how´s life in general??
BTW, thanks for the link to DAC. I didn´t check out everything on their homepage, but I couldn´t find anything on foreign pilots??
Oh well, I might just e-mail them one day!

Young pilot,

I´ll still mail ya´, but Aeroboero offering to give you some info, is probably the best and most up to date that you can get. I am pre-JAR age, never had to deal with that BS.
But talk to you later anyway.

Now, what the h*** is going on with the selecao????? :)

[ 17 July 2001: Message edited by: Hung start ]

[Young Pilot - YP]

Aero Boero
I'm glad you can give me some information. Good luck with the exams. I know you should be studying very hard !

Hung Start
About the Brazilian Soccer Team ... well ... it's better not comment anything ... what's the national sport in Scandinavia ...(sorry, I can' t punctuate correctly because my keyboard has some problems)

Young Pilot - YP

[Hung start]

Young pilot,

National sport, in Denmark at least, would be soccer. We´re in good shape for the World Cup qual. next year, but not anywhere as good a team as Brasil has always been. Everybody here with an interest in soccer, wonder what the h**l is going on with Scolari´s team..
National sport in Sweden would probably be icehockey, and in Norway (last of the three Scandinavian countries) it would be drinking homemade alcohol :D :D :D :D

[AeroBoero]

Hung;

The sport that Norway practices, in Brazil we called "Halterocopismo" - is the act of lifting a glas full o beer/cachaça/whisky or what you most like with alcohol, drinking it and set the empty glass down again only to repeat it later! :D I think that next to soccer is the most popular "sport" from where I came from. :D :D

[the wizard of auz]

Arighty guys, whats involved in getting a Brazilian licence?, can I convert my Auzzie CPL?, is there any flying around Caxambu?, do I have to be fluent in Portuguese to fly over there?.
thanx in advance for any info. :D

[the wizard of auz]

Amendment to above post: thanx for nothing guys. :mad:

[AeroBoero]

Calm down mate!
If you got no answer before is because nobody could respond to it.

I know only about Brazil and is pretty much simple ;

You can validate your licenses ,but you can't fly commercially on Brazil as a foreigner. Marrying a Brazilian beauty(!) won't be of much help either as would it be with marrying an American and getting a green card. In Brazil only if you are born Brazilian or naturalised Brazilian. For the other countries of Latin America I can't give you any help because I don't know about their rules.

And on the language problem : R/T is done most of the times in Portuguese. English is very restricted to International fields and centers. Eventually you find outside these fields (and where at least flight info is provided) one or another that speaks aviation English. It's not easy if you don't have a grasp of Portuguese to fly around there without a local.

Hope it helped.

Best wishes

AB