Golden Islander aircraft to return to Orkney

A gold-painted Britten-Norman Islander, which visited Orkney for last year’s aviation festival, is scheduled to take to the skies once more to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Loganair.

The Islander, which has been the mainstay of the airline fleet in delivering its regional services since 1967, will “hop” between six of the North Isles on Wednesday.

During this tour, the Golden Islander is set to complete the world’s shortest commercial passenger flight between  Westray and Papa Westray. Flights on this route are scheduled for one and a half minutes, although the actual flying time in an Islander can be as little as 53 seconds.

Other stops will include Stronsay, Sanday, North Ronaldsay, and Eday.

The Islander has been hailed as one of Europe’s most successful and enduring designs, its success being attributed to its exemplary performance as a multi-role, high frequency, short-haul platform. The aircraft can operate in some of the world’s harshest and most rugged environments, including all terrain operations from unprepared surfaces as short as 350m.

This tour will culminate in a series of speeches and presentations at Kirkwall Airport. An address is due to be given by Jonathan Hinkles, managing director of Loganair, with congratulations from Orkney Island Council civic leader, Harvey Johnston, and Scott Grier OBE, former Loganair chairman. This celebration is set to include performances from local dance groups and musicians.