More of long flights, what about the shortest?

[John_Cillis 2,406]

This was interesting to read today.  My shortest flight ever was on a United Metroliner from Oakland to SFO and back again when I flew to Socal in 1987.  I wanted to fly out of Oakland, easier traffic but I later decided I preferred the drive to SFO.  I remember the flight from SFO to Oakland the most--we took off from runway 1R or 1L (I cannot remember) and banked right immediately, flew eastward until we hit the ILS for Oakland's main runway.  A very short flight it was since we did not fly the pattern.  The Oakland-SFO flight, though short in straightline distance, was longer because we took off to the north, banked over San Francisco, then flew south to get into the pattern for 28R, so a trip of six or seven miles as the crow flies ended up being close to twenty or thirty miles in our Metroliner.  At that time, it was considered the shortest commercial flight in the US, perhaps the world, and I had the privilege of flying on it and my experience in a Metroliner for the first time.  Now a link to the current longest flight:

John

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/worlds-longest-flight-live-updates/index.html

[thibodba57 462]

I got a couple.  Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Dubai (DWC).  13-15 min in the air operating a 747.  And Kabul (KBL) to Bagram AB (OAI). 6 min and 30 something seconds in a C-130.

[qqwertz 781]

53 seconds:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westray_to_Papa_Westray_flight

Peter

[John_Cillis 2,406]

My shortest jet flight I have ever taken was from Zurich to Geneva in a 767--we climbed to just FL190 but I had a wonderful view of the Alps after the Captain of the near empty jet which I flew in from JFK told us we could move to the port side to see the Alps, which included the Eiger and Jungfrau in the distance, in the Bernese Oberland.  I visited the Bernese Oberland again, just last year, as part of a month long trip to Europe. 

I used to fly from SFO and Oakland to Reno on Aircal's (later American's) "Happy Hop", which was an incredible bargain--two nights at Harrah's Reno, a headline entertainer show, plus roundtrip airfare from SFO for $109.00.  First entertainer I ever saw there was the country music legend, Ronnie Milsap.  I also flew SFO to Reno once on a PSA MD80 at FL290 for just $39.00.  The 80's were the days of some bargain airfares.  But my best fare was in 1987 right after the stock market crash--roundtrip from SFO to Frankfurt via Dallas for $444.00 on American--but eh, that was a long flight!

My second shortest flight after SFO to Oakland was Burlington VT to Plattsburgh NY--do not recall the straight line distance over Lake Champlain, but it was a short flight in a puddle jumper.  While working in Plattsburgh I went with my two colleagues to Montreal for a nice afternoon trip, my last visit there, my first was in 1990.  Phoenix to Vegas is also a fairly short hop, flew that once or twice.

My shortest paid flights were helicopter flights over SFO, for $20.00 in those days pp you could get a short ten minute flight or so, just enough to fly near downtown and over the wharf.  Took my two nephews up on separate trips.

John

[Jim Young 2,356]

I was the only passenger on an aircraft (737, 767, or 757) from Wash Dulles to Washington, now Reagan National.  Flight was from Tucson to Wash National with a stop at Wash Dulles.  Had a little wait on-board until the passengers departed then the pilot came out and told me I was the only passenger to the flights final destination.  Can't remember exactly when this happened but believe sometime in the 80's.  I was extremely happy as my car was parked at Reagan.

[fluffyflops 1,857]

Virgin positioners from lhr to Gatwick 😎

[n4gix 4,947]

4 hours ago, Jim Young said:

Had a little wait on-board until the passengers departed then the pilot came out and told me I was the only passenger to the flights final destination.

It probably took longer to taxi for takeoff at Dulles than the flight to National did!