CENTENARY OF THE FIRST AIR CROSSING OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC

The project for the Air Crossing of the South Atlantic started in 1919, on the occasion of the visit of the President of Brazil to Portugal, when Sacadura Cabral launched the idea of commemorating the first centennial of the independence of Brazil, in 1922, by completing a flight between Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro.

In order to make this journey possible, it was necessary to create a navigation method that would allow the aircraft to be piloted with precision over the immensity of the ocean. To that end, Gago Coutinho equipped the sextant with an artificial horizon and developed, in collaboration with Sacadura Cabral, the course corrector, which made it possible to graphically calculate the angle between the aircraft's longitudinal axis and the course it should follow, taking into account the intensity and direction of the wind.

The new method was tested in 1921 on the Lisbon-Madeira voyage, which was completed in about seven and a half hours and demonstrated the precision of these innovative instruments that would be decisive in the success of the air crossing of the South Atlantic.

The First Air Crossing of the South Atlantic began on 30 March 1922, led by Admiral Gago Coutinho and Commander Sacadura Cabral aboard the seaplane Fairey III, baptised 'Lusitânia', with Rio de Janeiro as their final destination. 

Three aircraft were used in what would turn out to be quite an eventful journey. After covering 4527 miles in 62 hours and 26 minutes, the heroic officers were received with celebrations by the people of Rio de Janeiro, on 17 June 1922. 

This was the end of the First Air Crossing of the South Atlantic, completed by naval officers Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral.

Learn more about the history of this adventure in the exhibition '1st Air Crossing of the South Atlantic' that will travel across the country!

Visit https://www.marinha.pt/en/100taas/ to find out when the exhibition will be in your city! 

see the exhibition in portuguese here.

see the exhibition here.

Below you can join us in the ceremony that marked the beginning of the celebrations of the Centenary of the Air Crossing of the South Atlantic, on 11 January 2022, at Barge Pavilion, Maritime Museum.