“ANA Aeroportos de Portugal was informed that, as part of the Commemorations of the 100th Anniversary of the South Atlantic Crossing, the Portuguese Air Force will hold an air parade on the 1st and 3rd of April in the Lisbon area”, said the airport manager in a statement.
Thus, yesterday and Sunday, April 3, “delays are expected to occur in flights departing and arriving at Lisbon airport” and, therefore, ANA advised passengers with flights scheduled for these periods to consult their airlines for more information.
The first air crossing of the South Atlantic began at 06:45 on March 30, 1922, from the ramp of the Naval Aviation Center, at Doca do Bom Sucesso, in Lisbon.
The two adventurers used three planes and stopped in Las Palmas (Canary Islands) and São Vicente (Cape Verde), before reaching Brazil, after the so-called “big jump”, which lasted 11 hours and 21 minutes.
In all, Sacadura Cabral (pilot) and Gago Coutinho (navigator) covered 4,527 nautical miles (8,484 kilometers) in 62 hours and 26 minutes.
On this historic voyage, the pioneers used three seaplanes: Lusitânia, Portugal and Santa Cruz, the latter still accessible at the Museu da Marinha, in Lisbon.