Nonstop flight route between Athens/Albany, Ohio, United States and Wichita Falls, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport (ATO), Athens/Albany, Ohio, United States and Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 970 miles (or 1,561 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 relatively short distance between Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport and Sheppard Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport (ATO):

• The furthest airport from Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport (ATO) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,410 miles (18,363 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• In addition to being known as "Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport", other names for ATO include "Snyder Field" and "UNI".
• The closest airport to Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport (ATO) is Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport (PMH), which is located 42 miles (67 kilometers) SW of ATO.
• Ohio University Airport covers an area of 308 acres which contains one asphalt paved runway measuring 5,600 x 100 ft.
• The university finally chose a location just west of Albany and the airport was constructed in the early 1970s and opened around 1972.
• Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport (ATO) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush Airport's relatively low elevation of 766 feet, planes can take off or land at Ohio University Airport Gordon K. Bush 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 Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS):

• The host unit at Sheppard is the 82d Training Wing, which provides specialized technical training, medical, and field training for officers, Airmen, and civilians of all branches of the military, other DoD agencies, and foreign nationals.
• Helicopter pilot training was transferred from Stead AFB, Nevada in October 1965, with H-19, H-43, Bell TH-1F, CH-3C and HH-3E helicopters used for training.
• Sheppard AFB shares one runway with Wichita Falls Municipal Airport under a joint civil-military arrangement.
• The 80th FTW mission is to provide combat airpower by producing top quality fighter pilots for the NATO alliance.
• The furthest airport from Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,952 miles (17,626 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• During World War II, then-Sheppard Field conducted basic training, and it also trained glider mechanics, technical and flying training instructors and B-29 Superfortress flight engineers.
• The aircraft mechanics school was transferred to Sheppard from Keesler AFB, Mississippi in April 1949 to make room for expansion of electronic training at that base.
• In February 1992, restructuring and downsizing of the Air Force caused a realignment and renumbering of units at Sheppard.
• The closest airport to Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Kickapoo Downtown Airport (KIP), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) S of SPS.
• In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
• Sheppard Air Force Base is named in honor of Senator John Morris Sheppard of Texas, chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee from 1933 until his death on 9 April 1941.