Was I (unintentionally) on one of the shortest flights in Australia?

[UP4014]

Late 1990's, Launceston to Hobart, was a regular scheduled flight, can't recall but Ansett I think on jet.

 

[gaz0303]

Link airways (with VA codeshare) is now flying ARM-TMW. 18 minute flying time, 96km. Flight altitude above ground remains low, and on a summers day the turbulence is horrid as you cross the Moonbi mountains.

 

[Warks]

Flew Narrabri-Moree or the other way around a few times but only on the way to or from Sydney. It was a triangle route. Not sure if it still works that way. I always wondered if someone just flew this leg. It's 100km by road and takes about ten minutes in the plane.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

The Qantaslink Barcaldine-Longreach is a nice quick one too which is current and bookable as some may be aware

 

[Rangalad]

51nm according to GC map.

The QF sector ROK-GLT is 50nm.

Technically, I think the honour for the shortest commercial sector in Australia is still held by Hinterland Aviation which operates two flights per day, 6 days per week, KUG-BDD. A distance of 5nm.

View attachment 504460

This scenic 10 minute flight is available for just $289 if you want to tick it off your list.

The aircraft the operates this service has just 14 seats, so this seems like it could apply to every flight:

View attachment 504463

Rex, Griffith / Narrandera. 35nm
An old Air NSW (WX) route.
IIRC no refuelling capability at Griffith until mid 2000s.

Great Circle Mapper

Displays a map on which the great circle path for one or more routes is plotted and calculates the distance along each route. Ranges from one or more locations may also be plotted, along with go/no-go areas for ETOPS operations at various rule times.

gc.kls2.com

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From	To	Initial Heading	Distance
GFF (34°15'03"S 146°04'02"E)	NRA (34°42'08"S 146°30'44"E)	(SE

[td]
141°​

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[td]
35 nm

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[justinbrett]

BNE diversions from OOL used to be a lot more common before they installed the ILS.

MEL-AVV would be shorter, I would think that’s happened at least once.

Air North has flown DRW to Bathurst Island (BRT) on occasion which is also shorter.

 

[markis10]

MEL-AVV would be shorter, I would think that’s happened at least once.

MEL-MEB has had a few, pretty short. MEB also had the odd flight that thought MEB was MEL!

 

[sjfy]

My shortest flight is Milingimbi (MGT) to Maningrida (MNG), Western Arnhem Land: 72km or 39nm.

 

[Groundfeeder]

I certainly flew on a Qantaslink Dash 8-100 back in the late 90s from OOL-BNE, I think the flight came in from somewhere on the NSW coast.

There was an airline called Sunshine Express or something like that doing BNE-MCY for a while, I think in a Bandeirante. It wasn't that long ago, 20 years maybe

Aaah, the old Bandit, don't remind me!

 

[offshore171]

Rex, Griffith / Narrandera. 35nm

Rookie stuff.

Taylor Swift gets in the jet if she leaves her phone on the wrong side of the bed.

 

[OZDUCK]

Once upon a time, 1947 - 1962, Perth used to have the worlds shortest scheduled flight - between Perth Airport and Rottnest Island. "In 1947 he formed his own company Woods Airways with three ex RAAF Avro Anson aircraft, with which he operated the worlds shortest scheduled airline service to Rottnest."

https://slwa.wa.gov.au/pdf/mn/mn1001_1500/mn1473.pdf

 

[Dmac59]

I seem to recall (very vaguely) it was BNE-OOL or vice versa. The real sting in the tail was that they were dropped off by Comcar (ot whatever it was back then) at the airport at one end - then picked up by the same driver at the other end (simply drove up/down the highway whilst the flight happened).

Correct, his electoral office was on the Gold Coast.

 

[Happy Dude]

I seem to recall (very vaguely) it was BNE-OOL or vice versa. The real sting in the tail was that they were dropped off by Comcar (ot whatever it was back then) at the airport at one end - then picked up by the same driver at the other end (simply drove up/down the highway whilst the flight happened).

His other rorte du jour was to claim for accommodation in Canberra for nights he was actually in QLD. He refused to resign for those "mistakes" and refused questions/interviews which lead to reporters camping out on his nature strip. I recall the hilarious, and I mean hilarious, hissy fits chucked by his son telling the media scrum to go away. Illness prevented his rightful comeuppance.

 

[Wing Nut]

Shortest flight's we've done were between Mt Isa and Cloncurry, 100k's @ 30 min though seemed a lot quicker and Normanton to Karumba at a lengthy 35k's, flight time: very short. Was a memorable landing, not quite Mrs Nut at that stage peered through the coughpit windows (we were behind the pilot) and said "we're coming into land near sideways on an effing dirt runaway!" Sure enough, the pilot pulled the aircraft around on touch down on a strong cross wind. Happy days!