Straightest Flight ever?

Brad Z

Brad Z

Final Approach
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Brad Z
Someone complained recently about lack of GA aviation content here, so this Is my attempt to rectify that with a topic that I don't recall discussing (recently? ever?).

What is your straightest flight ever? No @eman1200, not your most hetero flight, but what is the most significant flight you've taken without literally any control inputs in the vertical and horizontal axis?

Okay, hard to measure controlling the flight controls, but how about a direct flight between two airports with the departure heading aligned with the departure runway and the approach aligning with the arrival runway? Bonus points if the trip is so long that the magnetic variation causes the straight line heading to shift over distance.

The best I could come up with was departing RWY 22 at LYH Lynchburg VA (runway heading 216*), flying a heading of 239* direct to Runway 24 (239*) of my home field VKX (Potomac Airfield). I'm sure I could do better but I'm curious what you're straightest flight?
 
Not very far but KPPQ -> KUIN 312 heading taking off and landing on rwy 31 at both fields.
 
FGU to TYS...

Departed RWY3 and flew 055° direct and landed on 5R.
 
Departing 32 at my home base of 8NC8, flying a heading of 326 and landing KDAN’s 31 (heading 314 degrees).

I am entertained by the number of flights where I would I would never make a 360 from tie down to tie down in my Maule. I should be dinged for improper pattern work but I was always trying to shave a minute or two flying that barn door.


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I make the flight from CMI to BMI somwhat often. Takeoff Rwy 32, turn 30 degrees left, and you're on a 40 mile straight in for 29.
 
Camarillo to Oxnard is a pretty quick, mostly straight flight. Just a little jog to the left and you’re there.
 
BPK 3M0

When I make the turn at TOL coming home from out east I'm pretty much straight in at that point.
 
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That is the great question..

Flying up to March Air Force Base from Gillespie recently was pretty straight.. basically just went straight north and did a straight into the runway

however it sounds like some of the other posters on here have me beat as the initial right turn and downwind leg out of Gillespie added some maneuvers
 
Bill Jennings said:
Forgot about that one, I’ve done a few. Each way lol.
Click to expand...

I also think Poplar Bluff, MO lines up with 24. Stopped there for fuel one trip, and then saw I was on a 100 mile final or so. Might have been a different field though.
 
I took off in my paramotor once, climbed into a wind greater than my airspeed, got blown backwards, then descended to a landing on the same airport behind where I took off about a 10 minute flight.
 
San Jose to Palo Alto is pretty straight when departing RW 30L and landing 31. If the winds are right, Palo Alto to San Jose is also pretty much straight in: Rw 13 to 12R.

It’s also an extremely quick flight.

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I was going to label this thread “most boring flight ever” but I vividly recall once taking my aunt up for a flight and she was fine as long as I didn’t bank the plane. If only I had planned out one of these flights.
 
I fly from Fort Smith AR to Richmond VA a lot. If I depart 7 there is about a 3 degree turn for 830 miles, expect for pattern work on other end.
 
Took off runway 23 at ZPH and landed straight in runway 23 at VDF. Short flight, no bonus points.
 
I fly down to KOWB to visit my Dad. KONZ - KOWB depart runway 22 pretty much fly runway heading for about 320nm and make slight turn to land on runway 24..
truth is I've never actually flown it that way, but if the winds are right it just might happen.
 
Greensboro, NC (GSO) to Charlotte, NC (CLT). Took off runway 23 and landed on 23. The routing is pretty much straight down the road. I believe we waited on the ground to get released to CLT longer than the actual flight time is. We would do this hope frequently in the CRJ for US Airways Express
 

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I once flew a C-152 from KCWC (then T47, Kickapoo downtown Airpark, Wichita Falls, TX) to KSAT. I departed runway 17 and basically flew runway heading for nearly two-and-a-half hours. It was nearly 34 years ago so I don't remember which SAT runway I landed on but I would have had to make some turn there.
 
I never did it, but when I was getting my ticket at LNK I decided the best hamburger run I could do in this vein would be runway 32 in Lincoln to runway 32 in Norfolk (true course of 336 for 75 nm). Unfortunately 32 isn't active very often at LNK.
 
You can't fly a Cub in a straight line. Your brain just won't let you do it.
Same problem in the Champ.
In a T-cart or a Luscombe you can do it, but it takes a massive effort.
 
KCLE to KBUF. 167 miles
Depart 6R then Cleveland Departure would give you radar vectors heading 060 all the way for a landing on runway 5 in Buffalo. Except for a little adjustment to lineup on final, you didn’t turn.
 
Tucson runway 29 to runway 32 Lake Havasu. If I'd flown a straight-in to runway 32 I would have only turned 21 degrees at the very end of the flight just to line up with the runway.
 
KOSH Rwy 180 to KARR Straight in Rwy 180. I did not turn until exiting the runway.
 
Did KGTU (Georgetown, TX) to KGOK (Guthrie, OK) a few years ago. Was given a slight right after takeoff to clear the Ft. Hood MOA & Restricted airspace, then pretty much a heading of 360 heading for the next 2.5 hours with a only a slight adjustment at the end to make a straight-in to Rwy 34.
 
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