flying 15'000 kms from Patagonia to Amazonia

On march 21 1998 Louis Palmer started the first Ultralight-Transamerica-Expedition in Montevideo, Uruguay. The plan was to cross South and North America - the first time someone ever did by ultralight. The trip led southwards to Bariloche, Argentina, then over the Iguazu Falls to Rio de Janeiro, along the magnificent Brazilian coast and over the Amazon River. Finally all the plans changed after a crash near a native reserve on the 17th July 1998 north of Manaus. Read the story here:

	The project started in Florida in December 1997, when I bought an amphibious Kolb-Firestar II in Orlando. The plane was shipped to Uruguay, where I could absolve my first test-flights in South America at the beginning of march 1998.
	On march 21, I started my long-distance-flight southwards, from Montevideo 50 kms over the Rio de La Plata to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
	Even though I had an exceptional permission to land with the first ultralight ever on one of Buenos Aires International Airports, the Tower refused my landining. I had to find  an ultralight-airfield with the last drops of fuel. First I was declared as an illegal emigrant, so I was not allowed to make customs and continue my journey. Finally, the very kind people of the Argentinean Air Force explained me that they had simply forgotten to tell the tower that I I have obtained a landing-permission. Finally, after one week of painful bureaucracy, I was cleared to continue!
	My "Globetrotter", after an emergency-landing on the main road in Puelches, Patagonia, with a gaucho.
	My second emergency-landing, just outside the village of Piedra de Aguila. When I taxied to the first house, I realized that it was a police-station! There, it was an attraction for dozens of children.
	The policemen in Piedra de Aguila helped me sending all the children home and kept my plane in a safe place. It was no big trouble explaining them that the grass on their runway had already grown 3 feet high,  so they accepted my emergency-declaration easily. The next day, they closed the road with their 4WD for my take-off!
	Over the Andes near Bariloche, Argentina, on 8000 feet ASL.
	"El Niño" had given me two marvelous weeks in Patagonia with around 27° C. But at the beginning of April, the weather changed suddenly, and during 10 days it didn't stop raining!
	When I continued my trip, half of Argentina was under water. More than 250'000 people had been evacuated, and most of the airports were nothing else than muddy fields.
	Back in Montevideo, I mounted my float, for being prepared for the long stretches over the rivers and the seashore of Brazil. During my first test-flight, my new retractable landing-gear broke and the plain landed on the float! Two weeks of work was needed to repair the damage.
	Finally,  I reached the Iguazu-Falls. The Tower gave me the clearance to overfly the falls on 3000 feet AGL.
	Flying over the giant Iguazu-River.
	The probably most fantastic flight of my life was the trip over Rio de Janeiro.
	See the big differences between the standards of living in Rio!
	This is a favela in the background, one of the several shanty-towns. I was told never to overfly a favela! It could be too dangerous because of shootings!
	After Rio, I followed the 4000 kms (here next to the City of Victoria) ....
	... along the marvelous Brazilian East Coast.
	In Ilheus' harbor, I tried to land in the water. Unfortunately, the harbor was a military-harbor and what I had done was strictly forbidden! So I had to explain my landing at the "Policia Federal", but finally I could even spend the night in the military-camp and my plane was guarded very well with firearms! Like all over in Brazil, people were very helpful!
	On the shore of Itaparica Island, just south of Salvador, I had to land in the waves because of a sudden storm.
	Another meeting with local people, in Northeastern Brazil, on a lonely Island where the fishermen had never seen an airplane in their village!
	In every Brazilian City there's at least one Ultralight-club. I always received a very warm welcome!
	In Viseu, 300 km east of Belem, my airplane became an incredible sensation for the local people.
	In Viseu, I had to put my plane on a truck and bring it to Belem, because the float gave troubles.
	Finally, at the beginning of July, I reached the Amazon River. On the left, you see the Rio Xingu, on the right the main river, called Rio Solimoes.
	It was big fun overflying the ships cruising on the Amazon River.
	The trip came to a brisk end just outside of the Native Reserve of The "Waroami and Atroari". An unknown factor caused my plane to turn to the left and hit the runways's separation-stone. My plane was brought by truck to Manaus but could not be repaired any more.
	Today, the plane is in Switzerland, being presented on different shows and in shopping-center-malls. It's uncertain if it will ever fly again.
	This Kolb Firestar was the first ultralight-airplane that has ever crossed South America. 3 countries and 15'000 km!