TAA09 BOOK IN OCTOBER 2010

This week, the TAA09 team signed an agreement with one of the biggest book editors in Iberian Peninsula to release a book about the humanitarian project not only in Mozambique but also on the other neighboor countries. Accordding to team representatives, this book will be launched during the fall of 2010 and it will be more photographic than written....

FC PORTO WITH TAA09

The monthly magazine of FC Porto, " Mundo Azul " ( Blue World ), just published on its last issue a big footage and article about the humanitarian expedition. On the three pages article, the pilot Carlos Fernandes explains all the african air project. The TAA09 team would like to thanks to FC Porto for the support.

TAA09 PROGRAM ON TAP PORTUGAL IN FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

From 1st of August 09, the TAA09 program " Os Aviadores " ( The Aviators ), watched on SIC TV channel in the beginning of July and still in the air on SIC NEWS TV channel, will be on all the TAP PORTUGAL long haul fleet, based on 15 A330 and 4 A340 aircrafts, through the airline's in flight entertainemnt program.

This will be a huge exposition of the humanitarian expedition. The TAA09 team would like to thanks to TAP PORTUGAL for this amazing oportunity as it will give a good visibility of all our supporters and sponsors.

PROGRAM "PONTO CONTRA PONTO" SIC NEWS WITH TAA09

Last Tuesday 21st of July, the Dr. Pacheco Pereira talked about the humanitarian project TAA09 during 8 minutes on his brand new program " PONTO CONTRA PONTO". Its with pride that the TAA09 team watched and heard such a good opinion from one of the most reputable politician in Portugal.

The program can be watched on: http://sic.aeiou.pt/online/video/informacao/pontocontraponto/2009/7/uma-casa-de-luxo-com-um-monte-de-lixo-ao-lado.htm

TAA09 AT "LATITUDES" PROGRAM

Next August 5th at 9.30 p.m on RTP International and on RTP Africa television stations, the pilots Eduardo Maya and Pedro Venâncio will be interviewed for the program "LATITUDES". This interview was filmed last week at TAP PORTUGAL facilities inside a state of the art flight deck of the airline's brand new A330...

"GRANDE REPORTAGEM" PRESENTS...THE AVIATORS OF TAA09

On last Sunday, 5th of July the TV station SIC of Lisbon, presented at 9 p.m a 40 mins. program about the humanitarian expedition with the name of " THE AVIATORS "....Produced by journalist Cândida Pinto and by Jorge Pelicano, the official cameraman, this program was emited in prime time by SIC, which made it one of the most viewed programs of the weekend. The feed back has been amazing, as on this program several details and facts of the TAA09 in the bush were witnessed by the tvelevision spectators...

The program can be watched online at:

http://sic.aeiou.pt/online/noticias/programas/reportagem+sic/Artigos/Os+Aviadores.htm

The TAA09 team would like to thanks to SIC and Cândida Pinto for the huge impact of the project nationwide....

BIG TAA09 ARTICLE ON " EXPRESSO " JOURNAL...

An 11 pages article about TAA09 - Humanitarian Expedition is on this week's edition of UNICA magazine, suplement of the portuguese weekly newspaper EXPRESSO. Written by journalist Cândida Pinto, who joined the team during the expedition, the article describes all the main details and routing of the humanitarian aerial project. Jorge Simão, the professional photographer who joined the team as well, gives to the article the joy and beauty through his fantastic and astonishing photos.

TAA09 REUNION

Yesterday 28th June, the TAA09 team got together in order to check all the work done until now and to plan the near future work of humanitarian action.

In the meeting it was set that in 2011 the team will organize the biggest humanitarian action performed by individuals by air, in which the small aircrafts will connect Maputo, Mozambique and Luanda, Angola with humanitarian aid and children school material as pencils, pens, books,etc...

More news will arrive shortly!!

BOOKS SUPPLIED BY TAA09 IN MAPUTO.

This week the TAA09 team received the photos from the mozambican school in Maputo, EPF-ADPP Maputo, of the all the educational books and books to prevent and fight the AIDS/HIV in Mozambique, that the humanitarian expedition carried and supplied back in May. For all of us is with pride and joy that we checked that the supplied educational material is an important tool in the development of the mozambican youngsters.

One more goal achieved!!!

GRANDE REPORTAGEM ON SIC TV ABOUT...TAA09!!

Next 5th July, after the Jornal da Noite ( News at 8pm ), the portuguese television SIC will show in the program " GRANDE REPORTAGEM ", a 30 mins. footage masterpiece of the TRANS AFRICAN AIR 09. Produced by Cândida Pinto and filmed by Jorge Pelicano, this program will show in prime time not only the beauties of overflown african landscapes but also all the preparation, development and details of the humanitarian expedition.

TAA09 IN "EXPRESSO"...

The portuguese weekly newspaper EXPRESSO will published on its issue of 4th July, a complete footage of TRANS AFRICAN AIR 09. With all the photos from Jorge Simão and produced by Cândida Pinto, the article will give the readers all the steps and stages of the humanitarian expedition.

PRESS RELEASES

During this morning, TAA09 emited a press release about the humanitarian expedition with attached photo CD's to the following portuguese news agency, magazines and newspapers: LUSA, VISÃO, SÁBADO, PUBLICO, Jornal de Noticias, Diário de Noticias, SOL and Correio da Manhã.
TAA09 on the media track!!!

LAST DAY

After the Okavango Delta stop, the team headed to Johannesburg Brakpan airfield on the final stage of the humanitarian expedition. This was the day in which we flew most as we departed very early from xarakai to Maun to refuel and the we flew to Francistown to refuel and clear customs. This last leg between these two cities in Botswana, was all over the Kalahari Desert and we all overflew it at low level flight. Even the pilot Eduardo Maya made a touch and go in the middle of the desert!!!Amazing the magic of this african desert...
From Francistown, we headed to Pilansberg in South Africa to clear customs. Suprisingly we delayed a lot on this airport due to the lack of professionalism of the airport staff, the worst of all our stops during 2 weeks!!! Even with this delay, we all took off to Brakpan via GAV VOR where we landed safely. We were welcomed at Brakpan with beer and pizzas provided by Karl Finatzer and we all felt that the mission was accomplished and we were happy but at the same time we were all sad because this was the end of the humanitarian expedition.
New plans are about to come...

FINALLY TIME TO REST...WITH 2 SAFARIS!!!

On this day all the TAA09 woke up very early to go on a morning safari which took around 5 hours. During the morning, the two Land Rovers made an intermediate stop to offer us some Rooibos tea and coffee, which is a luxury in the middle of the jungle. The highlight of this memorable morning was the time when we spotted 3 lions. We proceed after them and we stopped the car with engine off just a few meters from them...it was an incredible sound of silence...On our way to the lodge we spotted some lioness footprints and we discovered her in the middle of the bush trying to hunt springboks and baboons... it was amazing!!

After a light lunch and a nap, we all again went back to the cars to join a night safari. During this one we spotted hippos and in a small river, one of the cars got stucked in a hole. With the help of all the TAA09 team, we got the situation solved and we all comemorate with tonic gin!!

This was one of the most fantastic days of our lives...!! The TAA09 team would like to thanks Ren, Mrs, Kerwele and all the Mapula Lodge staff for all the cooperation, kindness and sympathy.

WATCH OUT!!! HIENAS IN THE HOUSE...

In order to protect the tyres of the aircrafts, before leaving to the lodge, the pilots grabbed a several amount of bush and they covered all the tyres and the horizontal stabilizers. Like this the hienas and the baby lions were not able to chew these parts of the aircrafts during the two nights of parking.

TAA09 IN THE HEART OF THE AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Taking off from Livingstone airport around 2pm, the four aircrafts overflew the Zambezi river at low level all the way down to Kasane airport in Botswana, as a curiosity this airport lies on the 750m lenght of border between Zambia and Botswana. Customs cleared in Kasane and the TAA09 team took off inbound the Okavango Delta to Xarakai, the closest airstrip of Mapula Lodge. Just after take off we overflew the Chobe National Park followed the Moremi National Park and for a few moments we overflew the airspace of Namibia. A huge amount of wild animals were spotted on both parks, as lions, zebras, girafes, hippos, elephants, kudus, crocodiles, rhinos, etc. As we approached the strip in the middle of nowhere at sunset time and due to communication problems with Mapula Lodge, we were not able to advise the Lodge that we would arrive at that time, and as soon as we approached the strip we noticed that nobody was there waiting for the TAA09 entourage. As soon as two aircrafts were landed, we advised the pilots Eduardo Maya and Carlos Fernandes, still in the air, to look out for the lodge near the strip. They saw something that seemed a lodge and they overflew it for 5 minutes performing 360's overhead. During our approach we noticed around 60 elephants just side by side with the airstrip...

With all the aircrafts on the ground and the night coming, we applied all our bush pilots course knowledge and we started grab bush in order to make a circle with a fire in the middle to proctect ourselves of the wild animals, as we didn't know if someone will picked us up there. Suddenly, we saw two Land Rovers from Mapula Lodge coming in and all of the team smiled!!! An adventure of two fantastic nights were about to start...

LIVINGSTONE...MAGIC LOCATION!!

As usual all the TAA09 team woke up very early to go on a water safari in one of the Waterberry Zambezi River Lodge boats. At Waterberry Lodge we were very confortable not only because how beautiful this lodge is but also because of the kindness, hospitality and sympathy of the managers Gail and Connor. During this safari, the TAA09 team spotted several hippos and a lot of wild animals in the borders of the river. The Zambezi is a state of the art of the nature!!

Right away with all our bags and prepared to fly, we went with Gail and Morrisson to Livingstone to see in loco the Victoria Falls. We were there for around 1 hour and we got some beautiful handcraft pieces...

We would like to thaks to Tessa Prior, Gail Kleinschmidt and Connor all the attention and support to the humanitarian expedition.

LOW LEVEL FLIGHT ALONG ZAMBEZI RIVER

Finally, with the zambian overflying clearances in our hands and with lower cumulus around Songo, we departed early in the morning to Livingstone,Zambia via Lusaka,Zambia for a technical stop. On the first leg of this day, the TAA09 team flew at low level along the Zambezi river. It was a fantastic scenic flight and all the team saw hippos, crocodiles,elephants,etc. This river is mythical!!! The wildlife is amazing and the river is very crowded of wild animals. After a delayed stop in Lusaka for refuel and clear customs, we headed to Livingstone where we landed at sunset...

With all the problems in Songo, the expedition was not able to reach Kayila in sothern Zambia and we had to cut one night in Livingstone as well.

LUCK IN SONGO

During this last day in Songo, the TAA09 team had luck as they were all invited by Eng. Humberto Oliveira and his wife, Mrs. Lurdes for a lunch and for a dinner served in the garden of their beautiful house. The chef cooked white codfish and T-Bones, all accomplished with indian spicy Achar.

As a surprise of the evening, Mrs. Lurdes cooked the tasty Pastel de Nata, a traditional portuguese small cakes.

The Songo hospitality was so huge that the TAA09 members have no words to describe it...

THUNDERSTORM DELAYS TAA09

When all the team made an early wake up at 6 am to start one more flying day, a cold front came into Songo skies and the weather conditions suddenly became a big issue for the expedition. The pilots Pedro Venancio, Pedro Gaivão and Carlos Fernandes went by car with Eng. Humberto Oliveira and Eng. Manuel Ribeiro to Estima village to observe the weather conditions on the lower base of the hills to judge wether they could take off or not. Unfortunatelly, the weather was so poor that they decided to pend one more day in Songo... After all these issues, the team moral was high!!!

TAA09 STRANTED AT SONGO, TETE

During today, the TAA09 were stranded at Songo airport waiting for the overflying clearances emited by the Zambian Air Force. After a lot of promises by the zambian air force officials, the clearances only came at 4pm, which was too late to depart for Lusaka. With a new situation, the team decided to night stop in Songo.

Tomorrow the humanitarian expedition will fly from Songo to Livingstone, Zambia with a technical stop in Lusaka, Zambia.

SET LININGS INT SA WITH TAA09

From Saudi Arabia the CEO of SET LININGS INT SA, Mr. José Teixeira Ribeiro, sent a message to all the team of motivation and support...

TAA09 OVERFLIES MALAWI ON ITS WAY TO CAHORA BASSA!!!

After a delayed departure from Likoma Island due to customs, all the TAA09 team overflew again the borders of the Lake Niassa until a position north of Monkey Bay where the distance between the borders is shorter, and climbed to 6000ft heading to Lilongwe, Malawi. After a quick stop in Lilongwe to refuelling and clear customs, the team went direct to Songo, Mozambique. Before the arrival, the pilots performed a formation low level pass.

AFRICAN ROOTS...

Yesterday by the sunset, the team was surprised by a concert on the NKWICHI LODGE beach by the choir of the catholic Cobué church. Around 15 children and youngsters leadered by Mr. André were at the beach where they sung for almost 1 hour.

After the beach dinner, the pilot Carlos Fernandes performed a song for all the team members and lodge workers.

LAKE NIASSA...THE PARADISE

With a technical stop in Tete, Mozambique followed by another one in Blantyre, Malawi for refuel and clear customs, the four aircrafts of TAA09 flew all over the lake heading to Likoma Island, a malawian island in Mozambique territory.This flight will be recorded on the pilots memory forever as it was one of those flights where the outside landscapes and the lake were astonishing and beautiful. All the trip was performed at low level flight with a low pass at Metangula, an old portuguese marines base. After the landing at Likoma Island, the team was transfered to two fisherman boats and they were conducted direct to the customs and passport control at Cobué, Mozambique. After all of this accomplished, the TAA09 team was transfered on the boats on a 1 hour boat trip to NKWICHI LODGE, a luxury state of the art lodge managed by MANDA WILDERNESS which support and organize all the Cobué community. The team would like to thanks to Mr. Devon Concar and Mrs. Tatu for all the support and simpathy.