Nonstop flight route between Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Smyrna, Tennessee, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Smyrna Airport (MQY), Smyrna, Tennessee, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,038 miles (or 12,936 kilometers).

A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the large distance between Buka Island Airport and Smyrna Airport, the route shown on this map most likely appears curved because of this reason.

Try it at home! Get a globe and tightly lay a string between Buka Island Airport and Smyrna Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea.
• There is one navigational aid, the Buka NDB situated on nearby Sohano Island.
• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• The furthest airport from Buka Island Airport (BUA) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,781 miles (18,959 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
• On 13 May 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 36 fighters and 6 bombers at the airstrip.
• It is located at the southern end of the island, near Buka Passage behind the town of Buka, and pre-war Chinatown.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Buka Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Buka Island Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.

Facts about Smyrna Airport (MQY):

• The closest airport to Smyrna Airport (MQY) is Nashville International Airport (BNA), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) NW of MQY.
• Smyrna Airport is a public general aviation and military use airport located two nautical miles north of the central business district of Smyrna, a town in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States.
• The furthest airport from Smyrna Airport (MQY) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,207 miles (18,036 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Smyrna Airport (MQY) has 2 runways.
• Because of Smyrna Airport's relatively low elevation of 543 feet, planes can take off or land at Smyrna Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
• Smyrna Airport covers an area of 1,700 acres at an elevation of 543 feet above mean sea level.
• Smyrna Airport currently operates as a joint use training facility with a Tennessee Army National Guard helicopter unit, Army Aviation Support Facility #1, which operates 60 helicopters with 300 full-time Army National Guard personnel.