Worlds Shortest Flight

[Pistonpilot]

Usa Today had the following on the worlds longest and shortest flight.

The long and the short of it: Now that Singapore Airlines has taken the title for having the world's longest non-stop flight, you might wonder who has the shortest. That apparently is a British Airways hop between the Scottish islands of Westray and Papa Westray — with a scheduled flight time of two minutes, according to Official Airline Guide (OAG). Officials say the flight was once flown in just 58 seconds, a far cry from Singapore's 18.5-hour flight from L.A. The BA flights are operated by Loganair for British Airways and utilize a Pilatus Islander prop plane. Don't wait for beverage service on this flight

 

[ILStoMinimums]

FedEx does an OAK to SFO. But thats more like 10-15 min. with the approach - or longer?

 

[AK737FO]

Southeast Fun!

Alaska flight #64, PSG to WRG, or flight #65, WRG to PSG when done VFR is usually about 12 minutes. IFR is usually a cruise clearance to LDA approaches and takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
Fun stuff!

 

[erjpilot]

IAH-HOU

Did IAH to HOU in 7 minutes in the 120 a few years back. Took off 15L. Call departure, they say "fly heading XXX, 2000 till established, cleared ILS 12". Talk about busy doing new hire IOE! Of course this was usually the guys first leg on his first day!

IAH to EFD was usually pretty quick as well.

Once did CLE to CAK in 18 minutes...block to block.

HAVE A GREAT DAY

 

[rchcfi]

One of my many daily flights include PGM-KEB which has a total distance of 2.7 miles. Takeoff from 30 and you're already on left base to 19. Talk about abbreviated checklists: Fuel pumps stay on, takeoff flaps immediately turn into apporach flaps, etc. Maximum altitude reached is 800 ft. Done in the Britten-Norman Islander. Fare - $25

 

[TonyC]

FedEx does an OAK to SFO. But thats more like 10-15 min. with the approach - or longer?

I've done it in 10, but that was the long way around. I believe it's been done in less than 5.

I believe the quest is for the shortest "scheduled" flight, though, and even OAK-SFO doesn't earn that distinction. I don't think 2 minutes can be beaten.

 

[slomo]

Ameriflight has a scheduled HWD-OAK flight.

 

[ILStoMinimums]

Tony,

are those short flight quite a work load? Or just a fun little jump?

 

[TonyC]

Tony,

are those short flight quite a work load? Or just a fun little jump?

Take 90% of the work you'd normally do on any 30-minute, 3-hour, or 13-hour flight, and compress it into 10 minutes - - it's work in my book.

It's also - - like any 30-minute, 3-hour, or 13-hour flight - - fun. That's why we do this, right?

 

[profile]

I did OAK-SFO in 2 min once, departed 11 landed 28R. Heard the fastest is 29 to 19. These days the don't seem to allow that, tho.

 

[ILStoMinimums]

2 min? Do you even retract the gear for such a short hop?

Does that go something like: power - rotate - flaps 15 - flaps back down and flare?

 

[House_X]

FedEx does an OAK to SFO. But thats more like 10-15 min. with the approach - or longer?

Is it cheaper to fly the boxes over to S.F. then to battle the Bay Bridge in trucks? It would seem trucking it over would be faster and cheaper. It's still a 15 minute ride to the city from SFO.

 

[skyking1976]

Once upon a time, Air Wisconsin used to fly BAe 146's between ATW and OSH. Only about 10-12 miles directly. The block time was listed as 14 minutes.

 

[House_X]

Ameriflight has a scheduled HWD-OAK flight.

Just curious, is that a repo or is it a revenue flight. I use to see you guys come into HWD over on the other side of the airport for a pick-up.

 

[House_X]

DCI does CVG-DAY...but they vector you all over the place and the flight ends up being 35 minutes of block.

 

[ILStoMinimums]

Is it cheaper to fly the boxes over to S.F. then to battle the Bay Bridge in trucks? It would seem trucking it over would be faster and cheaper. It's still a 15 minute ride to the city from SFO.

I believe thats a repo flight. I doubt they'd fly boxes such a short distance.

 

[TonyC]

I believe thats a repo flight. I doubt they'd fly boxes such a short distance.

And yet we do. Fly boxes, that is.

The last time I did it, we offloaded freight, onloaded freight and fuel, and continued to HNL.

I've had some pretty long taxi rides from OAK to SFO and back. I know the airplane ride is faster.

 

[ILStoMinimums]

Thats quite interesting - they probably take a load from OAK stop in SFO (to load on more) and then to HNL?

 

[slomo]

Just curious, is that a repo or is it a revenue flight. I use to see you guys come into HWD over on the other side of the airport for a pick-up.

It flies Mon-Thu SBP-SNS-HWD-OAK. Most of the work is dropped off at HWD, does not pick anything up there. Goes on to OAK with 15-20lbs of work.

 

[brillig17]

The FedEx flight normally hops OAK-SFO then on to NRT. OAK is not long enough.

 

[TonyC]

The FedEx flight normally hops OAK-SFO then on to NRT. OAK is not long enough.

Technically, the OAK-SFO leg is the last of a 5-leg sequence that originates in Subic Bay (FLT26: SFS-HKG-TPE-KIX-OAK-SFO) and the SFO-NRT flight is a different Flight Number (FLT87: SFO-NRT).

 

[ILStoMinimums]

Technically, the OAK-SFO leg is the last of a 5-leg sequence that originates in Subic Bay (FLT26: SFS-HKG-TPE-KIX-OAK-SFO) and the SFO-NRT flight is a different Flight Number (FLT87: SFO-NRT).

Now why doesn't FDX just fly to SFO from KIX instead of going to OAK first?

 

[I.P. Freley]

Commutair still does a run from Plattsburgh, NY to Burlington, VT.

20.5NM

Usually 7mins in the air, if memory serves.

I've also done Altoona, PA to Johnstown, PA.

23.5NM

 

[Pull & Rotate]

I believe West Isle Air in the San Juan Islands holds the "Guiness Book of World Records" shortest comercial flight. I think it was 45 seconds from Center Island to Decatuer Island. It can be done in the 60 to 70 second range quite easily. The runways are both north/south and right crosswind off Center is the same as left base into Decatuer.