The BBC has reported that Stuart Linklater, 59, who has completed the world’s shortest scheduled flight more than 12,000 times, is set to take to the skies over Orkney for the last time as he plans to retire.
As you can see from the map and this video, the world’s shortest scheduled flight takes only about two minutes to complete (including taxiing, meaning less than a minute is spent in the air) as its only 1.7 miles, about the length of the runway at Edinburgh Airport, between Westray and Papa Westray:
So forget taking in a movie or a meal while aboard! BBC also has a short video segment about the flight and Stuart:
Moreover, Stuart, a pilot with Loganair, has spent 24 years flying the route along with other inter-island routes such as flights to Stronsay, Sanday, North Ronaldsay and Eday. In fact, he has flown more than 1.3 million miles (enough miles to circumnavigate the globe 50 times) in the single-manned, eight-seater Britten-Norman Islander aircraft used for this inter-island service.
Stuart has worked for Loganair for 25 years (16 on an air ambulance service contract) after gaining his private pilot licence in 1982 and his commercial pilot’s licence in 1988. So naturally Stuart has had his share of turbulence and challenging weather conditions over the years.
Stuart will continue working part-time for Loganair operating aircraft out of Glasgow to places like Barra, Tiree and Campbeltown.