Born 150 years ago, aviation pioneer Santos Dumont made history
Passengers flying to Rio on the shuttle from São Paulo make landing at the city’s Santos Dumont Airport, which first opened its doors back in 1936. In the spacious arrivals hall with vast glass windows overlooking the runways and the stunning Guanabara Bay beyond, travelers cannot miss the massive panel by Rio artist Cadmo Fausto. Os Primórdios da Aviação (“The Dawn of Aviation”) depicts Santos Dumont’s flight in the 14-Bis in Paris, with curious bystanders staring all around and the Eiffel Tower rising over the scene.Stepping out of the main hall, travelers are greeted by a bust of Alberto Santos Dumont, sculpted by the French artist Hugues Desmazieres.The panel, the sculpture, and the naming of Brazil’s first civil airport are all tributes to the aviator whose 150th birth anniversary...