The story about the tribute with candles and fireworks has been commented on to this day. It’s amazing. It’s so good that they wanted me to do something similar on the sands of Copacabana Beach: spell out Q+PR with candles. But doing the same thing all over again was out of the question.
The candle tribute made by myself, Rose Goz, and Roberto Cabral, that is in the “Magic Years 2” video was filmed by the Queen crew during the Rock in Rio Festival, and many people must know that when Brian saw all the lit candles and the firecracker canons that lit up the sky he descended the Hotel Copacabana Palace staircase, followed by a horde of fans who had been waiting to see the members of Queen at the hotel door.
That evening in January 1985, there was a party, a dinner for all the Rock in Rio Festival performers and other guests, and Mr Jim Beach invited us to the dinner. And we went, of course, after washing up in the luxurious hotel’s restroom. Roberto ran out of the restroom to tell us that Roger Taylor was in there.
For Queen’s coming this year, I thought of a zeppelin (dirigible airship) that would fly over Copacabana Beach, but it would be impossible due to the cost involved. Since it was a personal initiative, without the help of other fans or friends, there was no way. Then I thought of one of those single-motor planes with a banner. Much cheaper and it would have the same effect.
A friend of mine gave me the number of a company named Fly Propaganda in Rio de Janeiro and, after a few emails and suggestions, I closed the deal on a plane and a banner that said, “QUEEN - Rio Loves You”.
The flight was scheduled for 28 November, 2008. The band would arrive at the hotel in the afternoon and the plane would fly over Copacabana Beach for an hour.
When I arrived in Rio on the 11 o’clock TAM flight, several of Queen’s technicians and roadies were there. One of them was very nice and I thanked him for the shows in São Paulo. He replied in perfect Portuguese, “Obrigado” (thank you). Better than my English. I wished him a pleasant stay in Rio de Janeiro and asked him to give Rio a concert in as good as São Paulo’s.
When I left the airport with my friend Horácio, it was raining horribly. From the taxi, I called “Fly Propaganda” and talked to Mrs Clara about the weather and wind conditions, etc., and we decided that the best thing to do would be cancel the flight and reschedule it for the next day.
I did not go to the Sofitel Hotel to see Queen arrive. I even tried to go to work, since according to my brother, my desk was covered in paperwork to be set in order, but I didn’t make it.
Honestly, I was exhausted. And ever since I arrived in São Paulo, I caught a bad cold, which, combined with the anxiety of going backstage, landed me in the nurse’s station at Via Funchal during the first concert, since my blood pressure dropped.
The next day, Fly Propaganda called me to find out if they could fly over the Sofitel Hotel. I explained that the morning wouldn’t be very good because they’d be sleeping.
The night before, they had been to dinner with their PR agent who lives in Rio and then proceeded to watch rehearsals at the Estácio de Sá school samba.
The weather was not cooperating, alternating showers and being overcast, when around 3pm, Mrs Clara from Fly Propaganda contacted me and told me that it was a good time for the plane to fly over Copacabana Beach and Hotel Sofitel, and the pilot was ready and waiting at the airport. There were good flying conditions, it was safe for the pilot, and I authorized him to leave.
Queen’s production crew was notified and there is the result in the photo. They saw it!!! The photograph was featured on BRIAN MAY’s website.
The pilot told me later that many people were videotaping and taking photographs from the swimming pool.
This is the lonely flight of a fan who wanted to demonstrate her love for the greatest band of all time, QUEEN.