Brazilian coast …the Lighthouse on a Hill

pousada farol do morro

It’s all mathematics until the fuel gauge hits the “it just got real” mark. That’s close to the empty line with a big blue Atlantic Ocean below you.

It's when your brain says …(*expletive*) math, we’re running on fumes, we’re not going to make it.

 

It sure feels good to hear ATC call your ID with approach directions.

It’s your metaphoric Lighthouse on a Hill.

It was a routine flight from Ascension Islands Wideawake Field (FHAW) to Dep. L.E. Magalhaes Intl (SBSV) in Salvador, Brazil. We topped off Little Bird with 934 gal, 6260 pounds of fuel at Wideawake.

We then took her up to FL39 and flew 1442 miles west in 3 ½ hours. We burned 470 gal of fuel in route. That’s 3 MPG or 892 pounds of Jet fuel an hour. It’s all mathematics until ATC directs you back out to sea to line up for an approach. We landed with enough fuel to stay airborne for another 45 minutes.

Little Bird at beach airfield in Valenca (SNVB)

At SBSV we just topped off our wing tanks for a quick hop south to Valenca (SNVB). The airfield is actually closer to the town of Gauibim than it is Valenca. We didn’t care. We just wanted to be taken to the Lighthouse on the Hill, Pousada Farol do Morrow. Our Brazilian sister Monica says “…it’s the most relaxing place on earth”.

Monica describes living on Beach 1; …laying and listening to the waves wash up on shore, a warm Brazilian sun and the smell of freshly cut, freshly picked fruit enjoyed in a soft morning breeze.

 

URAM's (Uncle Rick, Aunt Monica) Tram

 

Our virtual trip here is made more real by stories & images of our kids Uncle Rick (a tall, pale skinned, red headed Irishman wearing a straw hat and sunglasses) riding the tram to the beach to plant himself close to the nearest supplier of:

 

Caipirinha (k-eye-per-reen-yah), it’s the name of an adult beverage: Cachaca (ka-sha-sah) is the name of the liquor used in the drink. Cachaca is Brazilian distilled liquor that starts from unadulterated sugarcane juice.

Okay, we got to go, because in real life ...this is a place of family. It would be extremely hard to leave …our adventure continues home.