flight around the world: Puerto do Iguassu, Argentina to Foz de Iguaçu, Brazil

Custom at the Argentinian border is normally not a high time consuming procedure if there would not be uncompetitive people. A custom woman arrived with an unfriendly face, and with gestures of being the one who knows everything. She started saying that we could not go to the hangar to take out the airplane. After asking half of the airport people, someone accompanied us to the hangar. After 15 minutes we were ready to taxi, but the tower said there was no space on the ramp, a government helicopter with a VIP stood in front of the fuel station.

We waited, but since it took so long, we decided to make first the paper work.

There she stood again in front of us, this horrible woman. She started to tell everybody she met, that is was not her job taking us to customs. She had not the slightest idea what to do, and sent us from one door to the other. She spoke to some other custom guys, telling them that they should check our entire luggage, and even put the dog inside the airplane. Then she said to take the entire luggage she had herself scanned 10 minutes ago, because we might have put something in while she wasn't looking. We took out the entire luggage; fortunately we had not much, and took it to customs. She picked on the officer, he should check our luggage, he looked at her, he looked at us, and said it was ok, no need to check we could take our stuff. She was pissed off, her big authority was on the ground. She said we had to do first the flight plan, the others said we had to do first customs. Then we were sent to pay the fees, but she argued that we had to go first to stamp the passports.

Each person she met, she told the whole story and how she had to go with us from point A to point B. Normally we do it by our own. We didn’t need an incompetent guide.

At this tiny airport it took us from 9 o'clock in the morning till 2 o'clock in the afternoon to make customs.

The worst person you can meet is someone with no knowledge thinking they know all. On top of that she was unfriendly, picking on others, giving opinions instead of resolving the problem. She was starting to make problems out of things they don't exist.

We were mad, but we had to stay cool. We lost half of the day.

After a 5 minute flight we landed in Foz de Iguaçu , Brazil.

This time it took only two hours to go through custom and do all the ANAC stuff.

Brazil charged us this time more than US$ 250. The average landing fees in Brazil for foreign aircrafts are about US$ 100. Even on small airfields the fee is never lower than US$ 45. For VFR flights.

By the time we were ready to fly to Peruibe, it was 16.00 hours. We decided to sleep there. With the local bus we went to the city and slept in the nearest hotel to the bus station.

For the money we spent on this 3 days we could stay one week in a trouble free all- inclusive hotel

This is the reality. It makes no more fun to cross the border. Too much trouble, high fees, highly restricted airspaces.

WHY SHOULD WE CONTINUE OUR FLIGHT WHEN THERE IS NO FUN ANY MORE?

WE PREFER TO FLY IN THE USA.

THE ONLY PARADISE FOR PILOTS IN THE WORLD