Inside the world's shortest flight, just 53 seconds

The journey from Westray to Papa Westray, Scotland, is just 1.7 miles (2.7 km), much shorter than the runways at many commercial airports.

Greg Dickison experienced the world's shortest flight and shared it with readers of the British newspaper Independent:

“What is your record flight time?” I asked pilot Alex Rendall.

“Fifty-six,” he replied. We both knew we were measuring time in seconds here, not minutes.

Rendall knows the route well, having flown it between 1,500 and 2,000 times. I have a feeling I’m not the first passenger to ask him that question. But the speed of the world’s shortest flight depends on the wind.

The pilot flicked a few switches and the twin piston engines fired up. The wheels started to turn and through the window I caught a glimpse of the terminal building at Westray, a white warehouse, waved at by a guy in a fluorescent jacket. Of the five parking spaces, three were empty; one had a tractor parked.

Greg Dickinson on the flight from Westray to Papa Westray, the world's shortest flight

The plane was a Britten-Norman Islander with just eight passengers plus a pilot. There was no toilet. There was no in-flight entertainment. There was no choice of seats either, as passengers were told where to sit to ensure proper weight distribution on the plane. Carry-on luggage was stowed neatly in the overhead bin.

Logan Air Britten-Norman Islander aircraft fly the route from Kirkwall to Westray and Papa Westray

Today, I’m not carrying any luggage because I want to help make the plane as light as possible. The flight from Westray to Papa Westray holds the Guinness World Record for the shortest scheduled flight on Earth, measuring just 1.7 miles (2.7 km) – shorter than most airport runways. Normally, the flight takes about 90 seconds to complete, but former pilot Stuart Linklater, who has flown the route more than 12,000 times, once completed it in just 53 seconds.

As the wheels left the runway, I started the stopwatch and enjoyed the moment of hope. This could be the day the record was broken.

A few hundred metres up, with 30 seconds to go, I could see the gentle slopes of Papa Westray rising like a whale’s back from the sea. As I glanced at my watch and took in the view, I sensed a wry smile from the woman sitting behind me. For Orkneyans, this flight was like jumping on a bus.

The shortest flight in the world

The Westray to Papa Westray route is part of Loganair's Inter-Isles service, which connects six of Orkney's more remote islands to Kirkwall Airport on the 'mainland'. The network is a mandatory public service, having been in operation since 1967, and locals get discounted fares. They also get priority, meaning return sightseeing tickets departing from Kirkwall are only allocated to day visitors .

With a heavy click, the plane landed, and I pressed the stop button to see the total flight time was 2 minutes and 7 seconds. It was a shame the flight was taking longer than usual, and I had exactly two hours to catch my flight back to Kirkwall.

Life here is peaceful. The scene we just witnessed at the airport, a handful of people, is considered “rush hour.” The island has only 85 inhabitants. People don’t drive on the left or right. They just drive straight down the middle of the road. The local school has six students and three staff. People don’t bother locking their cars or front doors.

Papa Westray has a population of just 85 people.

The heart of the community is the village pub, the first stop on a visitor’s tour. It is only open on Saturdays, and although it is sparsely populated, it gets more lively as the evening goes on with dancing.

Papay’s main attraction is the Knap of Howar. Set in an unnamed field along a farm road, these two houses represent the oldest standing stone buildings in northwestern Europe, built 5,500 years ago, predating the Pyramids. In one house you can see an old millstone, which looks like a giant mortar and pestle, which Neolithic people used to grind grain.

Radiocarbon dating shows that Knap of Howar was inhabited from 3700 BC to 2800 BC.

I looked at my watch and saw that my plane was leaving in less than 15 minutes.

We rushed back to the car and headed for the airport. The guide said that even if we were a little late, the pilot would be waiting. And without checking my identity or my ticket, I hurried out onto the tarmac, ducked under the wing, and squeezed into a seat in the cabin. The next stop was Kirkwall, 27 miles and 15 minutes away...

Flights from Westray to Papa Westray are operated by Loganair, with prices starting from £16. Return sightseeing tickets departing from Kirkwall cost £50, but these are subject to availability and can only be booked on the day of departure. The airline operates return services between Kirkwall, Papa Westray and Westray.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ben-trong-chuyen-bay-ngan-nhat-the-gioi-chi-trong-vong-53-giay-185250804143913248.htm