Nonstop flight route between Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom and St. Michael, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:
(51°36'59"N by 1°5'44"W)
Arrival Airport:
(63°29'24"N by 162°6'37"W)
Distance from BEX to SMK:
4,417.54 miles (7,109.32 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- BEX Airport Information
- SMK Airport Information
- Facts about BEX
- Facts about SMK
- Map of Nearest Airports to BEX
- List of Nearest Airports to BEX
- Map of Furthest Airports from BEX
- List of Furthest Airports from BEX
- Map of Nearest Airports to SMK
- List of Nearest Airports to SMK
- Map of Furthest Airports from SMK
- List of Furthest Airports from SMK
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Benson (BEX), Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom and St. Michael Airport (SMK), St. Michael, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,418 miles (or 7,109 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 Benson and St. Michael 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 Benson and St. Michael Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | BEX / EGUB |
| Airport Name: | RAF Benson |
| Location: | Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom |
| GPS Coordinates: | 51°36'59"N by 1°5'44"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Ministry of Defence |
| View all routes: | Routes from BEX |
| More Information: | BEX Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SMK / PAMK |
| Airport Name: | St. Michael Airport |
| Location: | St. Michael, Alaska, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 63°29'24"N by 162°6'37"W |
| Area Served: | St. Michael, Alaska |
| Operator/Owner: | State of Alaska DOT&PF - Northern Region |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 98 feet (30 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SMK |
| More Information: | SMK Maps & Info |
Facts about RAF Benson (BEX):
- Royal Air Force Benson or RAF Benson is a Royal Air Force station near Benson in South Oxfordshire, England.
- The furthest airport from RAF Benson (BEX) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,879 miles (19,118 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
- Its Supermarine Spitfire and de Havilland Mosquito aircraft flew missions over occupied Europe, for example bringing back battle damage assessment pictures after Operation Chastise.
- The future of RAF Benson was in doubt for some time, while Project Belvedere was looking into closing at least one of Joint Helicopter Command's airfields.
- The King's Flight moved from RAF Hendon and would stay until after the war, moving to RAF Northolt in 1995.
- The closest airport to RAF Benson (BEX) is RAF High Wycombe (HYC), which is located only 13 miles (22 kilometers) ENE of BEX.
Facts about St. Michael Airport (SMK):
- Because of St. Michael Airport's relatively low elevation of 98 feet, planes can take off or land at St. Michael 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 furthest airport from St. Michael Airport (SMK) is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), which is located 10,397 miles (16,732 kilometers) away in Cape Town, South Africa.
- The closest airport to St. Michael Airport (SMK) is Stebbins Airport (WBB), which is located only 5 miles (9 kilometers) WNW of SMK.
- St. Michael Airport (SMK) currently has only 1 runway.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 13.38 miles (21.53 km) ENE | RAF High Wycombe (HYC) | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom |     |
| 2 | 18.01 miles (28.98 km) NNW | Oxford Airport (OXF) | Oxford, England, United Kingdom | |
| 3 | 22.84 miles (36.76 km) WNW | RAF Brize Norton (BZZ) | Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 4 | 22.86 miles (36.79 km) SSE | Blackbushe Airport (BBS) | Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 5 | 27.22 miles (43.81 km) SSE | RAF Odiham (ODH) | Odiham, United Kingdom | |
| 6 | 27.27 miles (43.88 km) SSE | Farnborough Airport (FAB) | Farnborough, United Kingdom | |
| 7 | 28.90 miles (46.51 km) ESE | London Heathrow Airport (LHR) | London, England, United Kingdom | |
| 8 | 29.41 miles (47.34 km) E | RAF Northolt (NHT) | Ruislip, England, United Kingdom | |
| 9 | 29.77 miles (47.92 km) S | Lasham Airfield (QLA) | Lasham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 10 | 30.10 miles (48.45 km) W | RAF Fairford (FFD) | Fairford, England, United Kingdom | |
| 11 | 32.59 miles (52.45 km) NNE | Milton Keynes Airport (KYN) | Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom | |
| 12 | 35.88 miles (57.74 km) ENE | London Luton Airport (LTN) | Luton (near London), England, United Kingdom | |
| 13 | 37.64 miles (60.57 km) ENE | Hatfield Aerodrome (HTF) | Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 14 | 39.31 miles (63.26 km) W | RAF Lyneham (LYE) | Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 15 | 47.38 miles (76.26 km) SSW | Southampton Airport (SOU) | Eastleigh (near Southampton), England, United Kingdom | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,879.28 miles (19,117.81 km) SE | Dunedin International Airport (DUD) | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 11,856.22 miles (19,080.68 km) SSW | Chatham Islands (CHT) | Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 11,854.23 miles (19,077.49 km) SE | Oamaru Airport (OAM) | Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 11,851.63 miles (19,073.31 km) ESE | Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) | Stewart Island, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 11,838.05 miles (19,051.45 km) ESE | Invercargill Airport (IVC) | Invercargill, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 11,819.81 miles (19,022.09 km) SE | Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) | Timaru, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 11,815.78 miles (19,015.60 km) SE | Alexandra Aerodrome (ALR) | Alexandra, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 11,810.58 miles (19,007.24 km) SE | Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) | Ashburton, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 11,802.08 miles (18,993.57 km) SSE | Christchurch International Airport (CHC) | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 11,785.98 miles (18,967.65 km) SE | Wanaka Airport (WKA) | Wanaka, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 11,785.41 miles (18,966.73 km) SE | Queenstown Airport (ZQN) | Queenstown, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 11,767.06 miles (18,937.19 km) SE | Glentanner Aerodrome (GTN) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 11,759.25 miles (18,924.64 km) SE | Mount Cook Airport (MON) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 11,754.85 miles (18,917.55 km) SSE | Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) | Kaikoura, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 11,740.74 miles (18,894.85 km) SE | Milford Sound Airport (MFN) | Milford Sound, New Zealand | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 5.47 miles (8.81 km) WNW | Stebbins Airport (WBB) | Stebbins, Alaska, United States | |
| 2 | 48.69 miles (78.35 km) NE | Unalakleet Airport (UNK) | Unalakleet, Alaska, United States | |
| 3 | 54.43 miles (87.60 km) SW | Kotlik Airport (KOT) | Kotlik, Alaska, United States | |
| 4 | 66.56 miles (107.12 km) NNE | Shaktoolik Airport (SKK) | Shaktoolik, Alaska, United States | |
| 5 | 75.86 miles (122.08 km) ESE | Grayling Airport (KGX) | Grayling, Alaska, United States | |
| 6 | 77.88 miles (125.34 km) N | Elim Airport (ELI) | Elim, Alaska, United States | |
| 7 | 78.14 miles (125.76 km) NNW | Golovin Airport (GLV) | Golovin, Alaska, United States | |
| 8 | 83.69 miles (134.68 km) SE | Anvik Airport (ANV) | Anvik, Alaska, United States | |
| 9 | 88.81 miles (142.92 km) WSW | Emmonak Airport (EMK) | Emmonak, Alaska, United States | |
| 10 | 91.71 miles (147.59 km) NNW | White Mountain Airport (WMO) | White Mountain, Alaska, United States | |
| 11 | 96.70 miles (155.62 km) ESE | Shageluk Airport (SHX) | Shageluk, Alaska, United States | |
| 12 | 97.41 miles (156.77 km) SW | Alakanuk Airport (AUK) | Alakanuk, Alaska, United States | |
| 13 | 104.18 miles (167.67 km) NNE | Koyuk Alfred Adams Airport (KKA) | Koyuk, Alaska, United States | |
| 14 | 105.68 miles (170.08 km) SSW | St. Mary's Airport (KSM) | St. Mary's, Alaska, United States | |
| 15 | 108.40 miles (174.45 km) SSW | Mountain Village Airport (MOU) | Mountain Village, Alaska, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10,396.90 miles (16,732.14 km) S | Cape Town International Airport (CPT) | Cape Town, South Africa | |
| 2 | 10,390.58 miles (16,721.97 km) S | George Airport (GRJ) | George, South Africa | |
| 3 | 10,371.37 miles (16,691.07 km) SSW | Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) | Port Elizabeth, South Africa | |
| 4 | 10,332.47 miles (16,628.45 km) SSW | Port Alfred Airport (AFD) | Port Alfred, South Africa | |
| 5 | 10,289.17 miles (16,558.77 km) SSW | East London Airport (ELS) | East London, South Africa | |
| 6 | 10,179.93 miles (16,382.97 km) SSW | Mthatha Airport (UTT) | Mthatha, South Africa | |
| 7 | 10,157.58 miles (16,347.01 km) ESE | Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM) | Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica | |
| 8 | 10,116.90 miles (16,281.53 km) SSW | Margate Airport (MGH) | Margate, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
| 9 | 10,100.71 miles (16,255.48 km) S | Kleinsee Airport (KLZ) | Kleinzee, South Africa | |
| 10 | 10,072.87 miles (16,210.68 km) S | Aggeneys Airport (AGZ) | Aggeneys, South Africa | |
| 11 | 10,072.87 miles (16,210.68 km) S | Wild Coast Sun Airport (MZF) | Mzamba, South Africa | |
| 12 | 10,072.60 miles (16,210.24 km) SSW | Mafeteng Airport (MFC) | Mafeteng, Lesotho | |
| 13 | 10,068.58 miles (16,203.77 km) SSW | Semonkong Airport (SOK) | Semonkong, Lesotho | |
| 14 | 10,067.04 miles (16,201.28 km) SSW | Lebakeng Airport (LEF) | Lebakeng, Lesotho | |
| 15 | 10,060.40 miles (16,190.60 km) SSW | Lesobeng Airport (LES) | Lesobeng, Lesotho | |