No need to charter a helicopter for a view of Rio de Janeiro

From Rio de Janeiro I had to go to São Paulo for more business meetings, so I took the very convenient "Ponte Aérea" from Santos Dummont (SDU) to Congonhas (CGH). Arriving at SDU, I bought a ticket at the TAM counter for about 90 USD, and got a window seat on the right side of the plane. Flights leave every 30 minutes, so there is no need to book in advance.

If you want see Rio de Janeiro from the air, there is no need to charter a helicopter. Just get a window seat on the right side of the airplane. Immediately after take-off, the plane makes a sweeping right-hand turn over Niterói, offering a view of Niterói, the entrance of Guanabara Bay, Botafogo, and Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf). Then you fly over Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, São Conrado, Barra, etc. This is the best view out of an airplane window that I have ever experienced.