Nonstop flight route between Ames, Iowa, United States and Melbourne, Victoria, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ames Municipal Airport (AMW), Ames, Iowa, United States and Essendon Airport (MEB), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,380 miles (or 15,095 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 Ames Municipal Airport and Essendon 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 Ames Municipal Airport and Essendon 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 Ames Municipal Airport (AMW):

• Ames Municipal Airport covers an area of 700 acres which contains an asphalt paved runway 1/19 measuring 5,701 by 100 ft and a concrete runway 13/31 measuring 3,491 by 75 ft.
• Ames Municipal Airport (AMW) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Ames Municipal Airport (AMW) is Boone Municipal Airport (BNW), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) WNW of AMW.
• According to NTSB records, the airport has had no fatal accidents since 1962.
• The furthest airport from Ames Municipal Airport (AMW) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,785 miles (17,357 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.

Facts about Essendon Airport (MEB):

• Essendon became Australia's second, and Melbourne's first international airport in February 1950.
• A variety of aircraft were used through Essendon in the 1960s - Lockheed L-188 Electras.
• The airfield itself also has undergone a major upgrade with the installation of lighting and signage systems to bring the airport to International Civil Aviation Organization standards.
• The closest airport to Essendon Airport (MEB) is Melbourne Airport (MEL), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) NW of MEB.
• Because of Essendon Airport's relatively low elevation of 282 feet, planes can take off or land at Essendon 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 major passenger airlines using Essendon in the postwar years until scheduled air services were transferred to Tullamarine were Ansett Airlines and Trans Australia Airlines.
• The furthest airport from Essendon Airport (MEB) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is nearly antipodal to Essendon Airport (meaning Essendon Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Flores Airport), and is located 12,192 miles (19,620 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.
• Essendon Airport (MEB) has 2 runways.
• In 2007, the airport was re-designed under a new master plan, as part of the Essendon Fields development.
• The airport was extended with additional land during the 1930s.
• In addition to being known as "Essendon Airport", another name for MEB is "Melbourne/Essendon".
• On 31 January 1945, a heavily-modified Stinson Model A registered VH-UYY and named Tokana, operated by Australian National Airways, departed from Essendon Airport for the daily flight to Kerang.