minimal flight
From Glossary of Meteorology
Ideally, an aircraft flight so planned and navigated that is completed in the least possible time.
Such planning should take into consideration the complete three-dimensional wind pattern en route as related to aircraft operating characteristics. To date, however, minimal flight is still largely a two-dimensional (pressure-pattern flight) concept. One practical method of determining a minimal flight path is the wave-front method.
Compare optimum flight.
