World's shortest scheduled flight

[WHBM]

The schedule time for this Loganair hop is 2 minutes, but I've wondered what that actually comprises not having done the route.

If it's start moving to stop moving, can't see it being achieved in the time. If it's wheels up to wheels down then it seems not the way schedules are normally shown.

And it must vary by wind. Into wind you should make a very straight and short hop, with wind you presumably have to circle round both islands.

If doing it direct, do you really have the time/space to make a stabilised approach ?

[G-CPTN]

And what about the safety-briefing and the duty-frees?

If doing it direct, do you really have the time/space to make a stabilised approach ?

Just treat it like an aborted take-off . . .

[flybywire]

Impressive!! That looks more like a go around than a flight from A to B! With the difference that it is shorter

[dontpickit]

If doing it direct, do you really have the time/space to make a stabilised approach ?

The sector has been flown (roughly speaking) 5 times a week for the past 39 years, thats around 9-10,000 times with no notable incidents, of course not all of these will have been the shortest route (about 2km between runway ends).

The schedule time for this Loganair hop is 2 minutes, but I've wondered what that actually comprises not having done the route.

It's listed in the Guinness Book of Records as 'shortest scheduled' at 2 minutes which ties in with the current timetable, and adds that Capt Andy Alsop once accomplished it in 58 seconds (time airborne?). Time from doors closed to doors open is probably on average 4-5 minutes.

A quick perusal of the current timetable shows that rawmac does up to 21 take offs and 21 landings per day - not much chance of 'reading in the cruise'.

[MyData]

In days gone by I flew regularly around the UK with AirUK. I recall my two shortest hops as Bristol->Cardiff, and Exeter->Newquay. But they probably don't qualify for this thread as Exeter->Newquay was probably getting into double digit minutes.

[BALIX]

Air UK (RIP) used to fly from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Stansted. One of the daily flights was combined. I once recorded a flight of seven minutes from take off from Rwy 25 at EDI to touch down on Rwy 23 at GLA. Oh, and it counted as a scheduled service as you could buy a ticket between the two airports though I don't think many people did.

[longarm]

Doubt it still operates but United used to operate between San Francisco and Oakland, California. When operated by 727 this 12 mile journey averaged 5 mins. It operated 3 times a day. (source: Guiness book of records 1992).

[effortless]

Used to do Plymouth St Mawgan three or four times a week with Brymon. that was about five mins airtime as I remember.

[Alistair]

Shortest scheduled flight by an IATA registered airline is in the Kabwum Valley region of the Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea by North Coast Aviation. From one one-way strip (Indagen, 400m ish long at 4000 ft) to another at right angles across the valley (forgotten the name, need to dig up the old logbooks, 400 m ish long at 4200 ft) took about 25 seconds in an Islander. The alternative journey was around 3 days by foot, one to go down and 2 to go up (for a local!) Plenty of short trips around that part of the world, in excess of 30 sectors in a day was not unusual.

Also done the Guernsey 09 to Jersey 09 thing in a SAAB 340 at 250 KIAS. Positively long haul by comparison

[compressor stall]

Plovett,

I have also done Hobart rwy 30 to Cambridge rwy 27 and it was in a twin turbine transport cat aircraft. After takeoff checks "flaps landing!!!!"

0.86nm treshold to threshold from Google Earth

[dontpickit]

Shortest scheduled flight by an IATA registered airline is in the Kabwum Valley region of the Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea by North Coast Aviation. From one one-way strip (Indagen, 400m ish long at 4000 ft) to another at right angles across the valley (forgotten the name, need to dig up the old logbooks, 400 m ish long at 4200 ft) took about 25 seconds in an Islander.

Great post here, from 2003:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=90595

[Lon More]

G-CPTN In Europe probably because of the Schengen agreement. Computerised passports mean there is probably a record of your movements anyway,
I remember doing a ELLX-EBOS flight back in the 1970s.
Luxembourg Customs had stamped my passport, On arrival in Oostende the customs bloke saw, carefully flattened the passport, selected the largest stamp he could find, inked it, breathed on it, inked it again and then SLAMMED it down on top of the Lux. stamp. The indentation went through about 4 pages

[PLovett]

Stallie,

I'm impressed. I could never get the tower to clear me to 27 at Cambridge. I think they thought they were in too much danger.

Perchance the twin turbine transport cat aircraft was one of the thingies being used now way down south. I seem to recall that one was flown into Cambridge for an open day there.

[compressor stall]

PLovett,

Very well guessed! T'was I and, yes, t'was the occasion!

That open day was absolutely wonderful. The crowd were fantastic, we let kids into the cockpit and sit in the seat, they were fascinated and not once during the entire day did I have to tell them not to touch anything.

Avalon a week later was a different story. After an hour of repeatedly telling manic kids and fathers not to push and pull on controls, we stopped anybody visiting the cockpit.

The crowd difference was poles apart (no pun intended ).

Did we meet that day? I was the younger of the crew.

[PLovett]

Stallie,

Unfortunately no. I had not long before that open day left the blessed climes of Tasmania for parts further north.

I heard about the open day from the aero club there, of which I am still a member and they were very impressed with your aircraft. The club has held a number of open days and they are usually great fun with good crowds.

I bet the return trip to Hobart gave you a bit more time to relax and enjoy the view.

[brain fade]

Allegedly, Loganair has done the 2min Westray- papa stour service backwards. ie take off into strong HWC. Reduce power, let a/c get blown downwind, wait til you get to (whatever it's called, in reverse), land.

Is it true? I think we should be told

[Max Steel]

Been There, Done that! Personal record 67secs. Capt Mike syed record 25Mins (Westery to Papi) Backwards in very strong wind allegedly. But great memories of flying around the western Isles, Orkney Isles and the Shetlands (my personal Favorite) in the best aircraft for the job, the ISLANDER

[Heatseeker]

Makes my Hervey Bay to Maryborough in a shed positively longhaul.

H

[Mungo Man]

Shortest scheduled Jet sevice

I found this snippet of info on Wikepedia:

Northwest Airlines holds the record for the shortest scheduled A319 service from Bishop International Airport in Flint, MI to Detroit's Detroit Metro Airport, a distance of about 57 miles (91 km).

- which got me thinking, what is the absolute shortest airline service in operation today that uses a jet?

I can't beleive that it is environmentally friendly using a jet to fly 57 miles, thats like flying from Heathrow to Southampton...

Edited to say that I know about the Papa Westray to Westray Loganair flights that operate in the Orkneys but thats is with a tiny Islander plus they are separated by the sea.

[longarm]

United used to fly San Francisco to Oakland on a DC9. Distance 11 miles.