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Tag: Northern Mariana Islands

  • The shortest flights in the us and why they exist

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    When you picture air travel, you probably think of long waits, layovers that drag on and hours spent in the air. But not every flight covers hundreds of miles. Some routes are so quick that by the time you settle into your seat you are already preparing to land. These are some of the shortest commercial flights in the United States, why they operate and what makes them worth knowing.

    Kalaupapa to Ho‘olehua, Moloka‘i – about 9 miles

    Airline: Mokulele Airlines

    Often considered the shortest scheduled commercial flight in the country, this hop covers roughly nine miles. It links the isolated Kalaupapa community with Ho‘olehua on the same island. The alternatives are either a demanding hike or a boat ride, so this flight provides a practical and scenic solution. My friend Cranky flew it and wrote a report about the experience.

    Saipan to Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands – about 10 miles

    Airline: Star Marianas Air

    This inter-island service in the Northern Mariana Islands takes only about 10 minutes. With limited ferry access, the flight is a critical connection between the two islands. There is also a trip report available for this route.

    San Francisco to Oakland – just over 10 miles

    Airline: Occasionally part of a multi-leg trip

    This is one of the shortest distances between two major airports in the U.S. While it rarely runs as a standalone flight, it sometimes appears during repositioning or connecting operations. It is a stretch to include but it does happen.

    Kahului to Hana, Maui – around 33 miles

    Airline: Mokulele Airlines

    Driving the Road to Hana can take over two hours thanks to one-lane bridges and sharp turns. By air, the journey is about 15 minutes with sweeping views of waterfalls, cliffs and rainforest. A trip report covers the experience.

    Wrangell to Petersburg, Alaska – about 35 miles

    Airline: Alaska Airlines

    Part of the famous “Milk Run” in Southeast Alaska, this short hop connects two towns without road access. It takes about 15 minutes and offers rugged views of mountains and waterways. A video documents the entire flight.

    St. Thomas to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands – about 40 miles

    Airline: Seabourn Airways

    This seaplane service between the Virgin Islands takes about 20 minutes. It is a key link for locals and visitors and comes with incredible views of the turquoise Caribbean Sea. A firsthand account of the flight is available.

    Juneau to Haines or Skagway, Alaska – about 45 miles

    Airline: Alaska Seaplanes

    These routes fly over glaciers and fjords with mountains all around. Traveling by car would mean a day’s journey plus a ferry, but the flight takes less than 20 minutes. The scenery is breathtaking.

    Hyannis to Nantucket, Massachusetts – about 30 miles

    Airline: Cape Air

    This popular summer route gets travelers from Cape Cod to Nantucket in about 15 minutes. Ferries run the same stretch but the flight is faster and offers great views. I’ve taken this flight myself on Cape Air and shared a trip report.

    Key West to Miami, Florida – about 125 miles

    Airline: American Airlines

    Although longer than some others here, this route still comes in under an hour. Driving the Overseas Highway can take four hours so the flight often saves time. I flew this trip years ago when US Airways still operated it and wrote about it.

    Los Angeles to San Diego, California – about 109 miles

    Airlines: United and American

    Flights between LAX and SAN last about 40 minutes. Sometimes driving is quicker but during heavy traffic or when passengers are making connections the flight makes sense.

    Bonus: helicopter transfers from Manhattan to JFK or Newark – about 17 miles

    Operators: Blade, Uber Copter and others

    These helicopters cut the trip to the airport down to under 10 minutes. They are expensive but they avoid traffic and offer a unique look at the city skyline. I have taken this ride a few times and shared a funny story from one of the trips.

    Why these flights exist

    Most of these short hops serve communities that are otherwise hard to reach. Mountains, islands or long stretches of road make flying the most efficient option. In other cases the flights simply save travelers hours while offering unforgettable views.

    The shortest flight I have personally taken was either between Papeete and Moorea or in Kenya where we made seven stops on the way to Tanzania which felt more like a bus service in the air.

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  • Remote undersea volcano likely erupting in Pacific Ocean

    Remote undersea volcano likely erupting in Pacific Ocean

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    HONOLULU — A volcano is likely erupting deep beneath the Pacific Ocean in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, but scientists don’t know for sure because it’s so inaccessible.

    All indications are that the Ahyi Seamount began erupting in mid-October, the U.S. Geological Survey said Monday. The Northern Marianas are about 3,800 miles (6,115 kilometers) west of Honolulu.

    Scientists are looking to see if the activity is shallow earthquakes or if material exploded from the crater, said Matt Haney, a USGS research geophysicist. Scientists are checking satellite data to see if there’s discolored water, which could suggest material is coming out of the volcano, he said.

    “There’s nothing right now that suggests that this eruption will intensify and become a large eruption,” Haney said.

    Still, mariners would want to avoid the immediate area, he said.

    Activity from an undersea volcanic source was picked up last month by hydroacoustic sensors some 1,400 miles away (2250 kilometers) at Wake Island.

    With help from the the Laboratoire de Geophysique in Tahiti and data from seismic stations in Guam and Japan, scientists analyzed the signals to determine the source of the activity was likely Ahyi Seamount, the USGS said in a statement.

    Activity has been declining in recent days, the statement said.

    Ahyi seamount is a large conical submarine volcano. Its highest point is 259 feet (79 meters) below the surface of the ocean. It’s located about 11 miles (18 kilometers) southeast of the island of Farallon de Pajaros, also known as Uracas.

    “There are no local monitoring stations near Ahyi Seamount, which limits our ability to detect and characterize volcanic unrest there,” the agency said. “We will continue to monitor available remote hydrophonic, seismic, and satellite data closely.”

    The seamount is part of the Mariana Volcanic Arc, which is a chain of over 60 active volcanoes stretching over 600 miles west of and parallel to the Mariana Trench, the world’s deepest point.

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