In 1970, Rádio Clube Português organised the Tour of Portugal bicycle race and mobilised its aeroplane to facilitate communications for reporters.
Alberto Moreno was the sound operator. He chose aviation during his military service and learnt to fly. When the radio bought his plane, a Cessna, he was ready to start travelling as the pilot, with Sousa Coutinho as commander. In addition to the air brigade, Rádio Clube Português reporting had five brigades on the road, fully satisfying the station's identifying phrase: Always on the Air Always with You.
Nova Antena magazine followed the Abrantes-Cartaxo stage and reported the moment when the Lisbon and Porto transmitters started working in parallel. Manuel Vaz Bravo, with headphones on, controlled the reporters' work. The peloton of cyclists rolled on schedule and there were no breakaways. The stage lasted 90 minutes and the radio followed it.
Note: there were no reports from the plane, as the distance to the ground was about a thousand metres, and it was impossible to identify the cyclists. But the plane served as a mirror reflecting the information coming from the road.
Rogério Santos, 2020
Original text with images, at https://radio.hypotheses.org/2778.
Author: Rogério Santos, 2020
Comments