BLUEGRASS AIRLINES

INAUGURAL FLIGHT TO SOUTH AMERICA

 

by Bill Odell BGA030

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NEW YORK TO BUENOS AIRES

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ROUTE TO BE FLOWN BY DC-3 AIRCRAFT

Day One

Depart: New York (La Guardia) (JFK wasn’t there yet)

Arrive: KMTNBaltimore (No BWI either)

Arrive: KDCA Washington

Arrive: KORF Norfolk

Arrive: KILM Wilmington

Arrive: KCHS Charleston

Arrive:KSAV Savannah

Arrive:KCRG Jacksonville (Either use Craig or Hurlong, no JAX yet)

Arrive:KOPF Miami (Use Opa Locka / no MIA yet)        

1,203 miles

 

Day Two

Depart:KMIA Miami

Arrive:MUHA Havana, Cuba

Arrive:MUCF Cienfuegas

Arrive:MUCM Camaguey

Arrive:MUCU Santiago

Arrive:MTPP Port au Prince, Haiti

845 miles

 

Day Three

Depart:MTPP Port au Prince

Arrive:MDSD Santo Domingo D.R.

Arrive:TJSJ San Juan, Puerto Rico

Arrive:TFFR Guadalupe

Arrive:TFFF Martinique

Arrive:TTPP Port of Spain, Trinidad

984 miles

Day Four

Depart: Port of Spain

Arrive:SYCJ Georgetown, Guyana

Arrive:SMJP Paramaribo, Suriname

Arrive:SOCA Rochambeau, Cayenne

Arrive:SRMQ Macape, Brazil

Arrive:SBJC Belum, Brazi

1,133 miles

 

Day Five

Depart:SBJC Belum, Brazil

Arrive:SBSL Sao Luiz

Arrive:SBFZ Fortaliza

Arrive:SBRF Recife

Arrive:SBMO Maceio

1,028 miles

 

Day Six

Depart:SBMO Maceio:

Arrive:SBSU Salvador

Arrive:SBPS Porto Segura

Arrive:SBVT Vitoria

Arrive:SBGL Rio de Janeiro

1,054 miles

 

Day Seven

Depart: SBGL Rio de Janeiro

Arrive:SBGR San Paulo

Arrive:SBCT Curitiba

Arrive:SBPK Pelotas

Arrive:SUMU Montevideo, Uruguay

Arrive:SAEZ Buenos Aires

1,186 miles

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7,433 total miles

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Flight 751 / 1

November 7, 1940

Depart: LGA 07:30

Arrive: MTN 08:39

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

MTN               7          4          1          1

DCA                10        10        1          0

ORF                2          4          0         0

SAV                2          2          1          0

OPF                 3          3          1          0

 

Depart:MTN 08:50 Continental Breakfast

Arrive:DCA 09:19

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

DCA                10        10        1          3

ORF                5          10        1          0

ILM                 4          4          1          0

SAV                2          2          1          0

OPF                 3          3          1          0

 

Depart: DCA 09:35

Arrive:ORF 10:33

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

ORF                6          11        1          0

ILM                 4          4          1          0

CHS                5          5          1          3

SAV                3          3          2          0

CRG                1          1          1          4

OPF                 6          8          2          1

 

Depart:ORF 10:45

Arrive:ILM 12:03

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

ILM                 4          4          1          0

CHS                12        12        2          4

SAV                3          3          2          0

CRG                1          1          1          4

OPF                 6          8          2          1

 

Depart: ILM 12:15 Luncheon

Arrive: CHS 13:15

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

CHS                12        12        2          4

SAV                5          6          2          1

CRG                3          3          1          4

OPF                 6          8          2          1

 

Depart:CHS 13:30

Arrive:SAV 14:13

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SAV                5          6          2          1

CRG                10        10        2          1

OPF                 6          8          2          1

 

Depart:SAV 14:30

Arrive:CRG 15:23

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

CRG                10        10        2          1

OPF                 16        18        3          2

 

Depart:CRG 15:40

Arrive:OPF 17:39

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

OPF                 26        30        5          3

Time: Gate to Gate: 9.7 hrs.

 

Flight 751/ 2

November 8, 1940

Depart:OPF 0700 Continental breakfast

Arrive: HAV 0832

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

HAV                26        28        2          0

 

Depart: HAV 0850

Arrive:MUCF 0951

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

MUCF             12        28        2          0

MUCM            6          8          1          0

MUCU            6          9          1          0

MTPP              1          1          1          0

 

Depart:MUCF 1000

Arrive:MUCM 1102

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

MUCM            14        14        1          0

MUCU            10        16        1          0

MTPP              2          2          1          0

 

Depart:MUCM 1115

Arrive:MUCU 1227

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

MUCU            18        24        2          0

MTPP              6          8          2          0

 

Depart:MUCU 1240 Luncheon

Arrive:MTPP 1454

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

MTPP              12        15        3          0

Time: Gate to Gate .. 7.8 hours

 

Flight 751 / 3

November 9, 1940

Depart:MTPP 0700 Continental breakfast

Arrive:MDSD 0836

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

MDSD             6          6          1          0

TJSJ                 10        12        2          0

PIREP: Watch the mountains, 9500' works well but keep the mountains off left wing. 88 deg along the coast works well.

 

Depart:MDSD 0845

Arrive:TJSJ 1023

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

TJSJ                 20        18        3          0

 

Depart:TJSJ 1035

Arrive:TFFR 1227

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

TFFR               12        12        2          0

TTFF               8          8          2          0

TTPP               4          4          2          0

PIREP:Watch mountains on right during climb out.

Pay cautious attention to mountains on right as approach rwy 11.

 

Depart: TFFR 1240 Luncheon

Arrive:TFFF 1322

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

TFFF               16        16        3          4

TTPP               9          9          3          2

PIREP:Keep mountains off right wing, 3500' Alt works on approach. Make sure you are clear mountain before you turn to set up approach.

 

Depart:TFFF 1335

Arrive: TTPP 1512

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

TTPP   26        34        6          8

PIREP:Watch mountain on right as you climb out, don’t start turn too soon, 1100' works fine.

Time:Gate to gate..8.1 hours.

 

Flight 751 / 4

November 10, 1940

Depart: TTFF 0700 Continental Breakfast

Arrive:SYCJ 1002

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SYCJ               10        10        1          0

SMJF               4          4          1          3

SOCA             3          3          1          1

SBMQ             1          1          3          1

SBJC               5          5          2          2

 

Depart:SYCJ 1015

Arrive:SMJF 1128

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SMJF               4          4          1          4

SOCA             6          8          2          2

SBMQ             6          8          3          1

SBJC               10        10        4          3

 

Depart:SMJF 1140

Arrive:SOCA 1255

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SOCA             8          8          3          3

SBMQ             6          6          3          1

SBJC               12        12        5          3

 

Depart:SOCA 1305 Luncheon

Arrive:SBMQ 1502

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SBMQ             10        10        4          1

SBJC               16        16        6          3

 

Depart: SBMQ 1515

Arrive:SBJC 1638

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SBJC               20        22        7          4

Time: Gate to Gate...8.6 hours

 

Flight 751-5

November 11, 1940

Depart:SBJC 0700 Continental Breakfast

Arrive:SBSL 0944

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SBSL               7          7          2          1

SBFZ               4          3          2          2

SBRF               6          6          2          1

SBMO             13        11        4          3

 

Depart: SBSL 0955

Arrive: SBFZ 1203

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SBFZ               6          7          2          1

SBRF               6          6          2          1

SBMO             13        11        4          3

 

Depart: SBFZ 1215 Luncheon

Arrive: SBRF 1425

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SBRF               8          8          2          1

SBMO             15        15        4          3

 

Depart: SBRF 1435

Arrive: SBMO 1522

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SBMO             20        18        5          3

Time: Gate to Gate 7.2 hours

 

Flight 751 / 6

November 12, 1940

Depart: SBMO 0700Continental Breakfast

Arrive: SBSV 0918

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SBSV              8          8          1          0

SBPS               7          7          1          1

SBVT              5          5          1          2

SBGL              6          6          4          8

   

Depart SBSV 0930

Arrive:SBPS 1105

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SBPS               12        12        2          2

SBVT              7          7          2          2

SBGL              7          7          5          8

 

Depart:SBPS 1115

Arrive:SBVT 1254

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SBVT              10        10        3          2

SBGL              16        16        7          8

PIREP: Pay special attention to the mountains on thr right wing as set up your base leg!!!

 

Depart:SBVT 1310 Luncheon

Arrive:SBGL 1445

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SBGL              26        30        8          8

PIREP: Beware the elevation as you approach RIO! 9500' should be fine. Enjoy setting up your approach to RWY 15. Have you landed in a bowl before! Wimps approach from the ocean side / but beware the wind also likes to pproach from the ocean!

Time: Gate to gate ..7.5 hours

 

Flight 751-7

November 13, 1940

Depart:SBGL 0700 Continental Breakfast

Arrive: SBCT 0828 * note time change back one hour

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SBCT              14        14        2          0

SBPK              8          8          2          0

SUMU             4          4          2          0

SAEZ               0          0          3          2

 

Depart:SBCT 0835

Arrive:SBPK 1124

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SBPK              12        12        3          0

SUMU             8          8          4          1

SAEZ               6          6          5          3

 

Depart:SBPK 1135 Luncheon

Arrive:SUMU 1314

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SUMU             14        14        5          1

SAEZ               10        10        6          3

 

Depart:SUMU 1325 Champagne!

Arrive:SAEZ 1426

Dest                 Pax      Bags     Mail     Freight

SAEZ               26        26        7          4

Time: Gate to gate...8.5 hours

Total flight time: 57.4 hours

 

Thoughts and suggestions: The way I flew this flight makes it easy to work separate flights; drop some stops and fly bigger planes; with the route maps that I have there is no end to side flights throughout Brazil.

As far as flying the flight as I did, it is more fun, to me anyway, to fly without all the navaids. Make up a flight plan, and see if you can make it with the basic instruments. To do it this way though you need charts. Fortunately, for me at least, I have them. There are VOR’s and ADF’s but for a major part of the trip they are few and far between.

You can fly at a later date than I and fly at night as most of the fields had lights in the ‘50's. If you desire, and I recommend someone try it, fly the same flight with a seaplane. All of the water landing areas are extremely close to the airfields.

I flew the DC3 169/170 IAS most of the trip. For pax comfort I flew 5500/6500 feet, there are many times though that you have to fly higher as there are lots of mountains along the coast. Usually 10,500' would work, but remember the passengers and come down when you can.

The scenery is very interesting, see if you can get a geography at the library and follow along, see what historical events you can remember or find. I had a lot of fun doing just that.