Nonstop flight route between Big Spring, Texas, United States and King Salmon, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS), Big Spring, Texas, United States and King Salmon Airport (AKN), King Salmon, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,110 miles (or 5,006 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 Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield and King Salmon 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 Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield and King Salmon 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 Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS):

• By the mid-1970s, the end of the Vietnam War, the associated financial costs of that conflict and related cuts in USAF force structure and future defense budgets meant a marked decrease in the need for Air Force pilots.
• The facility first was used by the United States Army Air Forces as Big Spring Army Air Field, opening on 28 April 1942 as part of the Central Flying Training Command.
• The closest airport to Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS) is Midland Airpark (MDD), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) WSW of BGS.
• The furthest airport from Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,166 miles (17,969 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In its continuing effort to cut costs, ATC made some major changes in the undergraduate pilot training program.
• The facility was brought back into service as a primary training installation because of the Korean War and the need for additional pilots.
• At that time, nearly 6,000 students had graduated and the field's training aircraft had flown approximately 400,000 hours and more than 60 million miles.
• The airfield and flight line was converted to an uncontrolled/UNICOM-only general aviation airport renamed Big Spring McMahon-Wrinkle Airport, serving the City of Big Spring.

Facts about King Salmon Airport (AKN):

• King Salmon Airport (AKN) has 3 runways.
• The closest airport to King Salmon Airport (AKN) is South Naknek Airport (WSN), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) W of AKN.
• The furthest airport from King Salmon Airport (AKN) is George Airport (GRJ), which is located 10,732 miles (17,271 kilometers) away in George, South Africa.
• King Salmon Airport is a state owned, public use airport located just southeast of King Salmon, in the Bristol Bay Borough of the U.S.
• In addition to being known as "King Salmon Airport", other names for AKN include "(former Naknek Air Force Base)" and "(former Naknek Army Airfield)".
• King Salmon Airport covers an area of 5,277 acres at an elevation of 73 feet above mean sea level.
• Because of King Salmon Airport's relatively low elevation of 73 feet, planes can take off or land at King Salmon 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.