5 Flights Every Avgeek Should Take Once In Their Life

Aviation enthusiasts often dream of taking some of the world’s most iconic flights, whether unique for their length, the destinations they connect, or the aircraft that operate them. Some of these flights connect some of the world’s most far-flung destinations, and others are just minutes long, but all are impressive.

While some aviation enthusiasts’ bucket list flights are undoubtedly only flown by a handful of people, most of whom are enthusiasts, many are part of the daily lives of thousands. Whether a popular route for business travelers between major economic hubs or the only opportunity to fly between island destinations, these routes are special.

Photo: Tobias Arhelger | Shutterstock

As a result, we believe now would be the right time to share our aviation bucket list with you and rank some of the world’s unique flights everyone should experience at some point in life. Simple Flying’s five most iconic flights that every aviation lover should take.

1

The longest of them all

Singapore Airlines operates the world’s longest nonstop flight, both by flight distance and duration

The world’s longest nonstop flight is among the most impressive feats of aerospace engineering to have become a normal, everyday part of many people’s lives. Singapore Airlines operates this nonstop flight with its Airbus A350-900ULR, connecting Singapore and New York, two global business hubs.

Photo: Phuong D. Nguyen | Shutterstock

With a total flight time of over 18 hours, this nonstop service operates with only two cabins: business class and premium economy. However, this flight could soon be usurped as the world’s longest, with upcoming ultra-long-haul services from the Australian flag carrier Qantas, which are set to connect New York, London, and Sydney.

Nonetheless, the world’s longest commercial flight, whatever it may be at any given time, is undeniably one that must be experienced by any aviation enthusiast in their lifetime. Sadly, there is no option to fly this route nonstop in economy, preventing one from having bragging rights after spending over 18 hours in the back of the plane.

2

The shortest one

The world’s fastest commercial flight connects two remote Scottish islands

The flight operated between Westray and Papa Westray islands in the Scottish Orkney Islands routinely ranks as the shortest scheduled passenger flight on the planet. According to timetables, this service, scheduled to last just one and a half minutes, typically has a flight time much closer to one minute, with the shortest recorded crossing between the two being 53 seconds.

This nonstop service is flown by Loganair, a small regional airline that serves several destinations in the far north of Scotland. This flight is part of a connecting service to Kirkwall, the most populous town in the Orkney archipelago. The flight is typically operated by the airline’s Britten-Norman BN-3 Islander, a small aircraft capable of carrying nine passengers.

Related

How Much Does The World’s Shortest Flight Cost?

The entire trip lasts less than two minutes and covers a distance of 1.7 miles.

3

The United Airlines “Island Hopper”

This flight connects Hawaii and Guam via several intermediate islands

This legendary service stops at multiple destinations across the South Pacific and is a relic of a flight once operated by Continental Micronesia. Today, United Airlines operates the route with a specially configured Boeing 737-800 with a few oddities.

With an additional mechanic onboard and four pilots, the strange nature of this is something aviation enthusiasts should certainly experience at least once in their lifetime. This unique flight takes you between Honolulu and Guam in about 16 hours, but stopping to explore the islands along the way is certainly something the aviation lover should consider doing.

4

The world’s most remote flight

The only way to see the famous Moai statues

The world’s most remote airport is not located deep within Siberia or in the high north but on a remote island in the South Pacific. Mataveri International Airport, the only airfield on Easter Island, is designated as the world’s most remote, with no diversion airports between Santiago and the facility.

Photo: Vytautas Kielaitis | Shutterstock

As such a unique flight with no available diversion airports, it is unsurprising that this flight has restrictions. For starters, no aircraft can cross the halfway point between Chile and Easter Island if another aircraft is still in the airport’s airspace. With only a single runway, any incident that resulted in its closure would require an aircraft to return to Santiago.

Related

5 Of The Most Remote Airports In The World

Most passengers won’t have traveled to these facilities.

5

The world’s longest domestic flight

Territorial extremities allow for a unique route to hold this title

According to the Reunion Airport, this nonstop route holds the record for the world’s longest domestic connection and has held this title intermittently since 1994, when Air France first began operating nonstop 747-400 flights. Today, the French flag carrier and Air Austral operate this service, with a flight time of around 11 hours.

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

Fascinatingly, this flight briefly lost its title as the world’s longest domestic service during the COVID-19 pandemic. When air travel was restricted, and social distancing was mandated, Polynesian carrier Air Tahiti Nui operated nonstop 16-hour flights between Faa’a International Airport (PPT) in French Polynesia and Paris, which clocked in at over 16 hours.

Related

China Eastern Airlines Resumes Longest Domestic Flight Between Shanghai and Kashgar

With a flight time of six hours, China Eastern Airlines’ direct route connects Shanghai in eastern China with Kashgar in the far west.

Have you ever been on any of these bucket-list flights? Let us know in the comments!