Scottish fact of the day: World’s shortest scheduled flight

Published on 17/08/2012 17:03

SCOTLAND is home to the world’s shortest scheduled flight - lasting around two minutes. The whistlestop flight from Westray to Papa Westray in the northern Orkney Islands is a distance of just over one and a half miles, and is operated by Loganair.

There are eight scheduled flights a week between the two islands, and the short hop between Westray and Papa Westray gained coverage in the press when six school pupils were forced to hitch a lift to school on the flight following the cancellation of the ferry for refurbishment in 2009.

The flight has been entered into the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s shortest recorded flight, and is flown by a de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter STOL (short take off and landing) aeroplane, capable of carrying up to 19 passengers. Although mostly used for skydiving excursions and also by the United States Army Parachute Team and training squadrons, a number do remain in civilian service.

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