Pilots are highly trained professionals who either fly airplanes or helicopters to carry out a wide variety of tasks. Most are airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers who transport passengers and cargo, but 1 out of 5 pilots is a commercial pilot involved in tasks such as dusting crops, spreading seed for reforestation, testing aircraft, flying passengers and cargo to areas not served by regular airlines, directing firefighting efforts, tracking criminals, monitoring traffic, and rescuing and evacuating injured persons.

Except on small aircraft, two pilots usually make up the cockpit crew. Generally, the most experienced pilot, the captain, is in command and supervises all other crew members. The pilot and the copilot, often called the first officer, share flying and other duties, such as communicating with air traffic controllers and monitoring the instruments. Some large aircraft have a third pilot, the flight engineer, who assists the other pilots by monitoring and operating many of the instruments and systems, making minor in-flight repairs, and watching for other aircraft. The flight engineer also assists the pilots with the company, air traffic control, and cabin crew communications. New technology can perform many flight tasks, however, and virtually all new aircraft now fly with only two pilots, who rely more heavily on computerized controls.

Miami is a major city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. The city covers 55.27 square miles (143.15 km²) and is the county seat of Miami-Dade County. Miami is a gamma world city with an estimated population of 404,048. It is the largest city within the South Florida metropolitan area, which is the largest metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States with 5.4 million. Miami and its surrounding cities make up the fifth largest urban area in the United States.

Miami's importance as an international financial and cultural center has elevated Miami to the status of world city. Because of Miami's cultural and linguistic ties to North, South, and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, Miami is many times referred to as "The Gateway of the Americas." Florida's large Spanish-speaking population and strong economic ties to Latin America also make Miami and the surrounding region an important center of the Hispanic world.

Miami and its suburbs are located on a broad plain between the Florida Everglades to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east that also extends from Florida Bay north to Lake Okeechobee. The elevation of the area never rises above 15ft (4.5 m) and averages at around 3ft (0.91 m) above sea level in most neighborhoods, especially near the coast. The highest undulations are found along the coastal Miami Rock Ridge, whose substrate underlies most of the eastern Miami metropolitan region. The main portion of the city lies on the shores of Biscayne Bay which contains several hundred natural and artificially-created barrier islands, the largest of which contains the city of Miami Beach and its famous South Beach district. The Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current, runs northward just 15 miles (24.1 km) off the coast, allowing the city's climate to stay warm and mild all year.

Anyone who thinks of events and holidays in Brazil almost simultaneously thinks of Carnival. Whilst Carnival does indeed play a major part in the events and holidays of Brazil, with a population in which approximately one in every two is Roman Catholic, and from a continent famous for fiesta, it should come as no surprise to learn that Brazil has a number of events and holidays in addition to the world famous Carnival.

 Brazil's Events and Holidays include:

New Year's Day (December 31 - January 1)
New Year's Day is known as Ano Nove (Portuguese) locally, but is probably more famously known as Revillon. Whilst the whole country celebrates New Year's Day, as with most major festivals in Brazil, the place to be on New Year's Day is Rio de Janeiro where anywhere up to 2 million people gather to revel in an all night / all day party. If you want to join in the fun and frolics of Rio on New Year's Eve, take yourself off to Copacabana beach where you can join in with some of the best fireworks and live music in South America!

Carnival Rio (late February - early March)
Carnival Rio takes place during the 5 day up to Ash Wednesday, with the last day of Carnival falling on Shrove Tuesday. Although the most famous events during the 5 days of Carnival are the Rio Carnival, events celebrating Carnival take place all over the country. Visitors to Brazil should keep in mind that all 5 days of Rio Carnival are public holidays all over Brazil - therefore most shops will be closed during the period covering Carnival Rio. Traditionally, this is also the culmination of the Brazilian summer holidays and Carnival Rio also marks the end of the long school holidays (which start in December). As a result, travel during Rio Carnival time can be difficult.

Good Friday (March/April)
As a predominately Roman Catholic nation, Good Friday is a national holiday in Brazil.

Easter Sunday (March/April)
Easter Sunday, following Good Friday is a holiday in Brazil; but Easter Monday is not.

Tiradentes Day (April 21)
Tiradentes Day in Brazil commemorates the execution of Brazilian national hero Joaquim Jose da Silva Xavier - a co-conspirator in the 1789 revolt against the Portuguese. If you are wondering how this holiday gets its name, "tiradentes" means "tooth-puller", and Xavier was a dentist by trade.

 Labor Day (May 1)
As with elsewhere in the world, Labor Day is celebrated in Brazil on May 1, and is one of the national holidays in Brazil.

Corpus Christi (June 10)
Another of the Brazilian holidays signifying its close association with the Roman Catholic Church.

Independence Day (September 7)
Dom Pedro officially declared Brazil's independence from Portugal on this day in 1822.

Our Lady of Aperecida Day (October 12)
Nossa Senhora de Aperecida is the patron saint of Brazil and this national holiday in Brazil is dedicated to her.

All Souls' Day (November 2)
As with other traditional Roman Catholic countries, All Souls' Day is a public holiday in Brazil.

Republic Day (November 15)
Almost ironically, Republic Day is celebrated in Brazil to commemorate the day in 1889 when Dom Pedro - he of Independence Day - was removed from power.

Christmas (December 25)
Christmas in Brazil officially starts on December 24, which is a half-day holiday. Christmas Day itself is locally known as Feliz Natal. Those deciding to celebrate Christmas in Brazil should note that Christmas is actually the height of the summer season here - so you're unlikely to see Santa in snow gear, and far more likely to see him on a Jet Ski off the coast of Rio!

Other important events and holidays in Brazil include:

Washing of the Steps of Bonfim Church (3rd Thursday in January)
In a deeply religious country, this Brazil event constitutes one of the most significant events in the Brazilian calendar. The event itself occurs in Salvador and comprises of hundreds of women in traditional Bahian dress carrying perfumed water to wash the church's steps. Careful though, this event can attract up to 800,000 onlookers!

Founding of Rio de Janeiro Day (January 20)