[QUOTE]A pilot who has completed the world's shortest scheduled flight more than 12,000 times is to take to the skies over Orkney for the last time.
Stuart Linklater, 59, will retire after making his final trip on the route between Westray and Papa Westray.
It takes just two minutes - including taxiing - to complete the 1.7 mile flight, which is about the same length as the runway at Edinburgh Airport.
Mr Linklater, a pilot with Loganair, has spent 24 years in the job.
During his time on the inter-isle routes - which also includes flights to Stronsay, Sanday, North Ronaldsay and Eday - the Orkney-based pilot has chalked up more than 1.3 million miles in the single-manned, eight-seater Britten-Norman Islander aircraft used on the service.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-22668150[/url]
If you think it's silly, the flight does go over a body of water so it's really just a flying ferry. Cheers to the lad though, seems like a nice guy.
[video=youtube;qXYrlRsNwKA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXYrlRsNwKA[/video]
Wow the runway isn't paved? Most runways aren't, but he has been on the job for 24 years and has made over 12,000 flights. There are roughly 8760 days in 24 years, so that means he has been making more than a flight a day for 24 years on average. Taking off and then landing on an unpaved surface must be hell on the aircraft.
[QUOTE=GunFox;40787234]Wow the runway isn't paved? Most runways aren't, but he has been on the job for 24 years and has made over 12,000 flights. There are roughly 8760 days in 24 years, so that means he has been making more than a flight a day for 24 years on average. Taking off and then landing on an unpaved surface must be hell on the aircraft.[/QUOTE]
He's spent exactly 24 years on the job so I assume this is a very regular thing for him
[QUOTE=scout1;40787405]He's spent exactly 24 years on the job so I assume this is a very regular thing for him[/QUOTE]
He's referring to the stress on the airframe from constantly taking off and putting down on an unpaved runway, which would be immense.
He probably finds it fun, not stressful.
Being a passenger in aircraft is always somewhat jarring, but I imagine smacking into the unpaved ground at 250 km/ph would be pretty fun if you were piloting the aircraft and were experienced enough to know you'd succeed
[QUOTE=hypno-toad;40789712]He probably finds it fun, not stressful.
Being a passenger in aircraft is always somewhat jarring, but I imagine smacking into the unpaved ground at 250 km/ph would be pretty fun if you were piloting the aircraft and were experienced enough to know you'd succeed[/QUOTE]
a i r p l a n e
people don't have airframes
[QUOTE=teh pirate;40789160]He's referring to the stress on the airframe from constantly taking off and putting down on an unpaved runway, which would be immense.[/QUOTE]
Islanders are made for just that. They're incredible machines. It's probably the only airframe that could do this job reliably.
Wow, I got the wrong impression from the title. I thought a dwarf pilot was retiring.
[QUOTE=GunFox;40787234]Wow the runway isn't paved? Most runways aren't, but he has been on the job for 24 years and has made over 12,000 flights. There are roughly 8760 days in 24 years, so that means he has been making more than a flight a day for 24 years on average. Taking off and then landing on an unpaved surface must be hell on the aircraft.[/QUOTE]
I don't know how you imagine landing on grass works, but it certainly isn't anything a plane can't handle for a very long time if it's maintained properly.
[QUOTE=GunFox;40787234]Wow the runway isn't paved? Most runways aren't, but he has been on the job for 24 years and has made over 12,000 flights. There are roughly 8760 days in 24 years, so that means he has been making more than a flight a day for 24 years on average. Taking off and then landing on an unpaved surface must be hell on the aircraft.[/QUOTE]
It depends alot on the ground and the pilot. My airport has both a pavement strip and a grass strip right next to it. Most times I go for the grass strip because its harder to bounce off of... I find grass landings to be a much smoother touchdown.
[QUOTE=GunFox;40787234]Wow the runway isn't paved? Most runways aren't, but he has been on the job for 24 years and has made over 12,000 flights. There are roughly 8760 days in 24 years, so that means he has been making more than a flight a day for 24 years on average. Taking off and then landing on an unpaved surface must be hell on the aircraft.[/QUOTE]
Other way around. Paved surfaces really do hell to aircraft. Grass and dirt have 'give' and absorb lots of the shock.
Wonder if he's ever done it with his eyes closed for fun
I'm surprised that it's worth the cost of fuel.
[QUOTE=Sir_takeslot;40794603]I'm surprised that it's worth the cost of fuel.[/QUOTE]
Piston engine aircraft don't consume that much fuel iirc.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.
