Nonstop flight route between Big Spring, Texas, United States and Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS), Big Spring, Texas, United States and Lubumbashi International Airport (FBM), Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,913 miles (or 14,344 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 Lubumbashi International 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 Lubumbashi International 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):

• 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.
• Webb Air Force Base, previously named Big Spring Air Force Base, was a United States Air Force facility of the Air Training Command that operated from 1951 to 1977 in west Texas within the current city limits of Big Spring.
• 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.
• By 1960, the consolidated pilot training program meant the consolidation of preflight, primary, and basic instruction into one school.
• At Webb AFB, the last two pilot training classes completed course work on 30 August 1977, and fixed wing qualification training ended on 1 September 1977.
• In its continuing effort to cut costs, ATC made some major changes in the undergraduate pilot training program.
• Activated on 26 June 1942, the mission of Big Spring AAF was to train aviation cadets in high altitude precision bombing as bombardiers.
• The AT-11 which was activated to replace the separate air and ground units.
• 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.

Facts about Lubumbashi International Airport (FBM):

• Lubumbashi International Airport (FBM) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Lubumbashi International Airport (FBM) is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is located 11,850 miles (19,070 kilometers) away in Hilo, Hawaii, United States.
• Because of Lubumbashi International Airport's high elevation of 4,295 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at FBM. Combined with a high temperature, this could make FBM a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• Lubumbashi International Airport was founded in colonial times as the Elisabethville Airport.
• The closest airport to Lubumbashi International Airport (FBM) is Kasompe Airport (CGJ), which is located 72 miles (116 kilometers) SSE of FBM.