The Three Guianas - Guiana - Suriname - French Guiana
The Three Guianas
The northern reaches of South America contain some of the most intriguing and beautiful sights on the planet. The region includes the countries of Guyana and Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana. The three are bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean and on the south by northern Brazil. Each is sparsely populated and dominated by rainforest. Suriname is the smallest country in South America by area and by population. Guyana is the second least populous country on the continent and its third smallest by area. French Guiana is France’s second largest region; its interior is one of the least populated and least accessible in the world. All three are rich in vistas of rainforest, lakes, rivers, and coastlines.
Guyana, which is bordered on its west by Venezuela and on its east by Suriname, was initially inhabited by indigenous agriculturalist tribes. Christopher Columbus, during his third maritime exploration of the New World in 1498, sighted the coastline of what would become Guyana, but did not land. The Dutch established the first European colonies in the late 1500s and the British took control in the late 18th century. Guyana gained independence in 1966 from the United Kingdom and became a sovereign state in 1970. Many British traditions have endured, and English remains its official language. Guyana is one of South America’s most diverse nations, with influences from indigenous cultures, Europe, Asia, Africa, and India.
Suriname, bordered on its east by French Guiana, has a rich early history similar to that of Guyana. Its earliest inhabitants were indigenous people who farmed, hunted, gathered, and fished along the coast. The Dutch began colonizing the area in the 16th century and over the subsequent decades nurtured a plantation economy focused on sugar production. Suriname became an independent country in 1975.
French Guiana, like Guyana and Suriname, was initially populated by indigenous tribes who hunted, practiced agriculture, and fished. The French established their first colony in the region in the early 1500s and eventually fostered a plantation-based economy. It was the location of several penal colonies, most notably Devil’s Island, one of the most infamous prisons in history. Today, French Guiana is a member of the European Union and is renowned as the home of the Guiana Space Center.
This bush trip visits locations deep within the rainforest as well as along the coast in this wonderfully diverse region. Beginning in far northern Brazil, the route winds through the depths of interior Guyana and then explores the coast of Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.
Flight tips
Weather, date and time are customizable. Live weather is preset.
Set your aircraft to "cold and dark" after each landing to end the flight, preferably in one of the parking lots.
Use ATC if you like.
This mission is created as a VFR flight. All necessary information is contained in the Navlog. If necessary, a GPS course is available.
Total Legs: 10 Total Distance: 745 Total Time(125kts): 5 hours 57 minutes
Leg 1
Flugplatz Caramambataí (Mapae) to Kamarang
Leg Distance: 50.24 Approximate time at 125kts: 24 minutes.
Flugplatz Caramambatai (Mapae)(SJKQ) to Monte Roraima(POI1)
Distance: 9.67NM Bearing: 314° 5 minutes
Take-off from Caramambataí (Mapae) Airport (SJKQ) and head in a west-northwest direction. The tiny airstrip is the northernmost airport in Brazil and lies near the northern edge of the Amazon rainforest. Follow the general course of the Cotingo River, remaining to its south, and gain a visual on the prominent mountain to the west-northwest, Monte Roraima (Spanish for Mount Roraima). Head directly toward Monte Roraima (altitude 9,219 feet above sea level), climbing to an altitude of 9,500 feet above sea level.
Located where the borders of Brazil, Venezuela, and Guyana meet, Monte Roraima is a large plateau called a tepui and is the highest point in the country of Guyana. Its summit is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species that exist only there.
Monte Roraima(POI1) to Kamarang(SYKM)
Distance: 40.57NM Bearing: 26° 19 minutes
Once over Monte Roraima, turn to the north and tune the aircraft’s ADF receiver to the NDB Kamarang (KAM), 406.0 kHz. Fly into the central Guyana region of Cuyuni-Mazaruni and pass over vast sweeps of the northern Amazonian rainforest. This section of South America is one of the least populated regions on the planet. Gain a visual on the Mazaruni River, which flows south-to-north along a series of broad meanders. Kamarang Village is located where the Kamarang River joins the Mazaruni River from the west. Kamarang Airfield (SYKM) is located on the southern banks of the Kamarang River just west of the Mazaruni River. Land at the airstrip.
Leg 2
Kamarang to Bartica A Airport
Leg Distance: 120.89 Approximate time at 125kts: 58 minutes.
Kamarang(SYKM) to Matzaruni River(POI2)
Distance: 43.7NM Bearing: 90° 21 minutes
Lift off from Kamarang Airfield and set a course due east. Pass over the Mazaruni River and continue on course over the dense rainforest. The Mazaruni River traces a path to the north from Kamarang Village and then loops around to the south again farther to the east. Stay on your easterly course to reach the river again. The area through which the Mazaruni runs has several gold mines and the river is the primary route for miners to access the region.