World's Shortest Scheduled Flight

[laticsdave]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22671667

[cdnpilot77]

Ok, hands up...how many people went straight to google Earth/Maps to see how ridiculously short that is?

[Expat]

Ok, hands up...how many people went straight to google Earth/Maps to see how ridiculously short that is?

I would personnaly prefer to walk or swim, in order to avoid the airport security delays related even to a 53 second flight!

[Beefitarian]

Please arrive 1-2 hours before flight for check in Ex?

[Liquid Charlie]

About as far as one wants to go in an Islander -- -- Fort Albany to Kash is a close second

[Bronco Billy]

Ive always thought the route from Montmagny to l'isle au grues QC is the shortest scheduled flight. I am sure the record time is pretty close to a minute too.

Maybe Gilles could gives us numbers. I cant remember how fast I was doing it.

[Panama Jack]

Good for him. And he probably retires with not quite enough hours in his logbook to qualify for the TT requirements for the ATPL.

[Rudder Bug]

The Montmagny to L'isle-aux-grues leg is 4,3 sm so we could log 0.15 for every hop. Average turnaround was 15 minutes.

A trip to Quebec City was 18 boring minutes one way. I hated those!

We apparently had the shortest sched in the world by then.

Gilles

[YCL Boy]

Nice, I use to think it was Fort-Albany to Kasachewan, but that's more like 5 NM trip across the river.
Cheers,

[ScudRunner]

So he's got 1300 hours ?

[High Flyin]

13,000 legs at 2 mins a pop. 24 years later he's logged an astounding 433 hours. Nice!

[Expat]

The Montmagny to L'isle-aux-grues leg is 4,3 sm so we could log 0.15 for every hop. Average turnaround was 15 minutes.

A trip to Quebec City was 18 boring minutes one way. I hated those!

We apparently had the shortest sched in the world by then.

Gilles

And I bet a real school bus driver was getting paid better also...

[Rudder Bug]

Actually, that Islander was the school bus on Friday nights and Monday mornings. I was probably earning a tidy bit more than the local "ground" school bus driver. It was decent, good people to work with, etc.

I would do it again if I was still around.

Gilles

[Rudder Bug]

Every now and then, the typical young guy walked in with a resume, asking about how much time he could do in a year.

My answer was: You'll do millions of minutes but not too many hours. BUT...there was and still is the survey contracts up in the Arctic, oh wait a minute, the whale patrols, well yes, when I think back, lots of 12 hour days, max duty with the Islander range at 17" MP on "Survey Mode".

I wasn't chasing log book time; I had about 8k when I got that job. It was another gray hair type of job, with lots of fun.

Man these Islanders, I mean the people, not the plane, are amazing, and the plane is too!

Any question?

Gilles

[Rudder Bug]

So he's got 1300 hours ?

Yup .. but times 10. Just like you old fart!

[Siddley Hawker]

We used to sched run the Otter from Havre St. Pierre to Blanc Sablon, 320 sm, 12 stops. Longest was 56 miles from Romaine to Harrington, shortest 7 sm from Old Fort to St. Paul's River.

[Rudder Bug]

We used to sched run the Otter from Havre St. Pierre to Blanc Sablon, 320 sm, 12 stops. Longest was 56 miles from Romaine to Harrington, shortest 7 sm from Old Fort to St. Paul's River.

So you must know my friend Bobat?

[Rudder Bug]

With Bobat Siddley?

[Siddley Hawker]

I've met him a few times, he was after my time on the coast. His exploits are stuff of legend though.

[Sun85]

Why not just use a ferry to connect these islands, would anyone know?

[cdnpilot77]

There is a ferry at the south end of papa westray apparently. I'm guessing the drive to the ferry and the shockingly long 14 minute (thats a guess) ferry ride is just too much for some when they can do it in 53 seconds

[Rudder Bug]

Why not just use a ferry to connect these islands, would anyone know?

The ferry is seasonal, from May to October, before freezup. Then the only way is by air, hence the "flying school bus".

When I was there, a one-way ticket was $20 and $7 for the students...and they complained! It is probably a tad more by now but not so much.

Should you spend some time near Quebec City, buy a one-way ticket with Air Montmagny and do that five minute flight to Isle-aux-grues. Once there, pick one of the bikes available for rent and visit the island, have an awesome 5 star dinner on a wrecked boat and come back in the evening with the last ferry.

These islanders talk funny, even if it is only four miles offshore. They speak a mix of Acadian and some dialect borrowed from old French, which I can now understand after two years with them. Well, most of it but...I told you, they do talk funny!

Nothing seems normal on that island and you'll find out as soon as you get off the plane. The air carrier will provide you with the ferry schedule for your return trip.

If you are comfortable with a 1500 ft paved runway and a four miles over the water, it is an exciting place to fly. Check your CFS, watch the geese and enjoy the trip.

Montmagny is a one hour drive, east of Quebec City. It is the oldest town in the province and very well worth a visit.

[Beefitarian]

This full route is a triangle to connect the two close islands with a third one that is farther away.
They fly over drop people that have come from the far island, and grab the rest of the new passengers before returning.

[Rudder Bug]

Not quite Beef, unless there has been some changes.

The Isle-aux-grues thing is a daily sched, twice a day, plus mailbags on Mondy, Wednesday and Friday, a load of cheese from the cheese factory on Thursdays and a dozen calves on the Friday mail return trip.

The Grosse-Ile gig is a contract with Canada Parks for their employees.

The rest is the other private islands, mostly during the white goose hnting season. Some trips to Mr. Beaudoin, the Bombardier president on his private island, caled Ile Madame.

They do survey contracts with a Partenavia Observer.

Other than that, lots of charter, up to the Arctic, Maritimes and all over.

They have grown up pretty much since I left. We had at the time One BN2A, a C-206 and a Navajo.

Gilles

[Beefitarian]

I meant papa westray but I enjoyed your explanation still.

Here's a representation of the airports of the route there.
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