Nonstop flight route between Kangnung (Gangneung), South Korea and Fairford, England, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gangneung Airbase (KAG), Kangnung (Gangneung), South Korea and RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,580 miles (or 8,981 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 Gangneung Airbase and RAF Fairford, 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 Gangneung Airbase and RAF Fairford. 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 Gangneung Airbase (KAG):

• Because of Gangneung Airbase's relatively low elevation of 35 feet, planes can take off or land at Gangneung Airbase 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.
• Gangneung Airbase (KAG) currently has only 1 runway.
• During the Korean War, the USAF designated the base as K-18.
• The furthest airport from Gangneung Airbase (KAG) is Capitán de Corbeta Carlos A. Curbelo International Airport (PDP), which is nearly antipodal to Gangneung Airbase (meaning Gangneung Airbase is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Capitán de Corbeta Carlos A. Curbelo International Airport), and is located 12,136 miles (19,531 kilometers) away in Maldonado/Punta del Este, Maldonado, Uruguay.
• In addition to being known as "Gangneung Airbase", another name for KAG is "강릉공항".
• The closest airport to Gangneung Airbase (KAG) is Sokcho Airport (SHO), which is located 33 miles (53 kilometers) NW of KAG.

Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):

• The furthest airport from RAF Fairford (FFD) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,898 miles (19,148 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• The runway was completed in 1953, and served as a forward airbase for the first Convair B-36 Peacemaker aircraft from Carswell Air Force Base, Texas.
• On 12 May 2005, USAFE activated the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Alconbury, to provide support to its GSUs in the United Kingdom.
• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
• Due to the deteriorating airfield facilities and its unique NATO heavy bomber mission, RAF Fairford underwent a $100 million upgrade of its runway and fuel systems in the largest NATO funded airfield construction project within a NATO country since the end of the Cold War.
• On 15 September 2009, it was announced that the USAF will withdraw all their uniformed staff from the station by September 2010, after which it will be run on a "care and maintenance" basis.