Nonstop flight route between St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom and Ahe, French Polynesia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Leuchars (ADX), St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom and Ahe Airport (AHE), Ahe, French Polynesia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,957 miles (or 14,415 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 RAF Leuchars and Ahe 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 RAF Leuchars and Ahe 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 RAF Leuchars (ADX):

• A third Panavia Tornado F3 Squadron, No.
• In September 2010, No.
• As the Cold War reached its frostiest depths in the 1960s the development of long range aircraft allowed the Soviets regular incursion into British air space.
• The closest airport to RAF Leuchars (ADX) is Dundee Airport (DND), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) NW of ADX.
• In 1935 Leuchars became home to Number 1 Flying Training School and ranges for practice bombing were established in Tentsmuir Forest.
• Leuchars remained an active Station to the end of the War, concentrating on anti-submarine and anti-shipping strikes.
• RAF Leuchars is commanded by an Air Commodore instead of a Group Captain who would usually be given command of a station.
• On 18 July 2011 Defence Secretary Liam Fox announced that RAF Leuchars would close, whilst RAF Lossiemouth in Moray would be spared as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review.
• The furthest airport from RAF Leuchars (ADX) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,678 miles (18,793 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.

Facts about Ahe Airport (AHE):

• The furthest airport from Ahe Airport (AHE) is Khartoum International Airport (KRT), which is nearly antipodal to Ahe Airport (meaning Ahe Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Khartoum International Airport), and is located 12,324 miles (19,833 kilometers) away in Khartoum, Sudan.
• Because of Ahe Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Ahe 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.
• Ahe Airport (AHE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Ahe Airport (AHE) is Manihi Airport (XMH), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) E of AHE.