Nonstop flight route between Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands and Mareeba, Queensland, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Wake Island Airfield (AWK), Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands and Mareeba Airfield (MRG), Mareeba, Queensland, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,896 miles (or 4,660 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 Wake Island Airfield and Mareeba Airfield, 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 Wake Island Airfield and Mareeba Airfield. 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 Wake Island Airfield (AWK):

• After pioneering air service into Wake Island in 1935, Pan American World Airways continued to serve the airfield for many years.
• Another airline that operated into Wake Island was Philippine Airlines with Douglas DC-8 jetliners on a daily westbound service from San Francisco and Honolulu to Manila during the early 1970s.
• The furthest airport from Wake Island Airfield (AWK) is RAF Ascension (ASI), which is located 11,652 miles (18,752 kilometers) away in Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena.
• Between 5 and 29 May 1935, Pan American's air base construction vessel, North Haven, landed supplies and equipment on Wilkes Island for eventual rehandling to Peale Island which, because of its more suitable soil and geology, had been selected as site for the PAA seaplane base.
• Wake Island Airfield (AWK) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Wake Island Airfield's relatively low elevation of 23 feet, planes can take off or land at Wake Island Airfield 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 Wake Island Airfield (AWK) is Quoin Hill Airfield (UIQ), which is located 169 miles (272 kilometers) SE of AWK.

Facts about Mareeba Airfield (MRG):

• A major US Army Air Force Base during World War II, Mareeba housed both heavy bomber and fighter squadrons of that Service in 1942 and 1943.
• In addition to being known as "Mareeba Airfield", another name for MRG is "Mareeba Airport".
• With the departure of the American units, Mareeba was then used by Nos 5 and 100 Squadrons, No 5 Communication Unit and a variety of Royal Australian Air Force support units, with No 24 Operational Base Unit disbanding in early 1946.
• Mareeba Airfield (MRG) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Mareeba Airfield (MRG) is Cairns Airport (CNS), which is located 26 miles (41 kilometers) ENE of MRG.
• The furthest airport from Mareeba Airfield (MRG) is Agostinho Neto Airport (NTO), which is located 11,810 miles (19,007 kilometers) away in Ponta do Sol, Santo Antão, Cape Verde.
• Today, the airfield hosts a museum with several World War II vintage airplanes on display in a flyable condition, and a major maintenance facility for Mission Aviation Fellowship.