In Rondônia, Brazil, retired musician Gerardo Araújo, 71, gained recognition by turning his passion for airplanes into an unusual project: building aircraft replicas in his backyard.
Inspired by the Apollo 11 mission in the 1960s, he dreamed of airplanes since he was young and, at 60, decided to build a replica of an Airbus A320 with the help of his brother-in-law.
The result, named Casa Avião, attracted the curiosity of visitors and went viral on social media, bringing Gerardo prominence and even catching the attention of manufacturer Embraer.
During the pandemic, he expanded the project with a replica of the Phenom 100, which earned him an invitation from Embraer to visit their facilities in São Paulo. There, he was given a symbolic certificate of jet ownership and had the opportunity to fly as a passenger.
Gerardo, who also dedicates himself to flight simulators and shares everything on Instagram, saw his follower base grow to over 25,000 people, attracted by his creativity, dedication, and love of aviation.
Now, the project is taking new shape. Casa Avião will be moved to a larger space and will include more replicas, such as a Boeing 737-800 equipped with a simulator and even a suite at the rear of the aircraft for lodging. Gerardo is also preparing replicas of a Bell 206 helicopter, a Cessna 152, and a model of Porto Velho airport, the capital of Rondônia, promising new attractions for tourists at the official reopening, which will be announced on his social media.
Source: UOL | Photo: Instagram @geraldo.araujo.9026 | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
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