v_charneau
Registered: December 2004
Posts: 4,164
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Reports, from Captain Gago Coutinho and Captain Sacadura Cabral, on the first flight across the South Atlantic Ocean, in 1922, by floatplane, from Lisbon (Portugal) to Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), written in Lisbon, in January 1923.
In order to foster and promote the friendship and good relations between Portugal and Brazil, Captain Sacadura Cabral presented to the then Portuguese Navy Minister, Mr. Victor Macedo Pinto, an ambitious project: to attempt the cross by air over south Atlantic Ocean linking tht two brother nations. This project was welcomed by Portuguese Government, and Captain Cabral was immediately commissioned to start the necessary studies to prepare such epic adventure.
Finally, the journey began at Lisbon, at 16:30 on 30th March 1922, on board a floatplane monomotor (Fairey F III-D MkII), specially designed for this flight, equipped with a motor Rolls-Royce, having the "callsign" Lusitana. Sacadura Cabral was the pilot and Gago Coutinho the navigator.
Despite they took more than 2 months to cross south Atlantic Ocean, flight time was only 62 jours and 26 minutes, and they've flown 8383 nautical miles, using 3 different floatplanes (Lusitana, Patria and Santa Cruz).
The journey ended on 17th June at Rio de Janeiro, where they were enthusiastically received as heros.
Soon thereafter, Captain Sacadura, invited Captain Gago Coutinho, to help him in this venture and to perform the role of navigator.
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