Nonstop flight route between Aiome, Papua New Guinea and Spokane, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Aiome Airport (AIE), Aiome, Papua New Guinea and Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA), Spokane, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,835 miles (or 11,000 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 Aiome Airport and Fairchild Air Force Base, 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 Aiome Airport and Fairchild Air Force Base. 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 Aiome Airport (AIE):

• Aiome Airport (AIE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Aiome Airport (AIE) is Governador Carlos Wilson Airport (FEN), which is located 11,785 miles (18,966 kilometers) away in Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil.
• Because of Aiome Airport's relatively low elevation of 350 feet, planes can take off or land at Aiome 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.
• The closest airport to Aiome Airport (AIE) is Sangapi Airport (SGK), which is located 28 miles (45 kilometers) W of AIE.
• In addition to being known as "Aiome Airport", another name for AIE is "AYAO".

Facts about Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA):

• In 1956 the wing began a conversion that brought the B-52 Stratofortress to Fairchild, followed by the KC-135 Stratotanker in 1958.
• Fairchild’s location, 12 miles west of Spokane, resulted from a competition with the cities of Seattle and Everett in western Washington.
• Throughout much of the 1990s, the wing was actively involved in missions against Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.
• In addition to being known as "Fairchild Air Force Base", another name for SKA is "Fairchild AFB".
• The furthest airport from Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,665 miles (17,163 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Spokane International Airport (GEG), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) E of SKA.
• As an added incentive to the War Department, many Spokane businesses and public-minded citizens donated money to purchase land for the base.
• As military operations in Vietnam escalated in the mid-1960s, the demand for air refueling increased.
• On 13 March 1987, a KC-135A crashed into a field adjacent to the 92nd Bomb Wing headquarters and the taxiway during a practice flight for an In-Flight Refueling Demonstration planned for later that month.