This one of Loganair's Islander aircraft taking off from Westray Airport. It provides an inter island service based at Kirkwall Airport.
This is the plane thats holds the World Record for Shortest Scheduled Flight. I came and watched this twice. In a morning, the plane flies from Kirkwall to Westray, drops or picks up any passengers then flies over to Papay Westray, and from there returns to Kirkwall.
In an afternoon, the route is reversed, Kirkwall /Papa Westray/ Westray and back to Kirkwall. So what is so unusual that it holds a World Record ? Well to start with the land in the background, across the sea is Papa Westray. From where I was stood, next to the little airport office at Westray, it is possible to watch the whole flight over to Papa Westray. The airport on Papa is on the ridge of the hill in the background, just to the left of the plane. You can see the the aircraft fly across, land, and with a reasonable zoom lens watch it taxi over to the office on Papa and watch the passengers get out.
On a normal day, when they are not in a hurry, from office to office takes around 90 seconds !
The Official World Record Time is 56 SECONDS !!
Apart from being the Shortest Scheduled Flight, I would bet that nowhere else in the world is it possible to watch an aircraft complete it's entire journey from one airport to another, unless you were clinging to the wing.
@mjalkotzy It is possible to do it by ferry. However for instance, if you live on Papa and have a hospital appointment in Kirkwall, you would need to leave Papa on the 7.30 am ferry for the 25 minute trip to Westray. Then a 7 mile bus or taxi ride, to the south of the island for the ferry to Kirkwall. This takes an another hour and 25 minutes. It is possible most but not every day through the summer to do the return journey to arrive back on Papa for around 7.00 pm.
The plane takes less than 25 minutes to Kirkwall, and if you live out on the islands they try and give you appointments that will let you catch the afternoon flight back. So just a few hours away instead of an all day trek.
The plane takes less than 25 minutes to Kirkwall, and if you live out on the islands they try and give you appointments that will let you catch the afternoon flight back. So just a few hours away instead of an all day trek.