Nonstop flight route between Big Spring, Texas, United States and Bandundu, 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 Bandundu Airport (FDU), Bandundu, Democratic Republic of the Congo would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,018 miles (or 12,903 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 Bandundu 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 Bandundu 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 1960, the consolidated pilot training program meant the consolidation of preflight, primary, and basic instruction into one school.
• 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.
• 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 AT-11 which was activated to replace the separate air and ground units.
• The airfield was activated as Big Spring Air Force Base on 1 October 1951 by the United States Air Force Air Training Command and established the 3560th Pilot Training Wing.
• Instruction of the first class began in April 1952.
• 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.
• The base was declared surplus and was turned over to the War Assets Administration after being closed.
• In August 1972, ATC established a pilot instructor training course for Vietnamese Air Force instructors at Webb AFB, Texas.
• 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.
• Perhaps the most dominant feature on the ATC landscape in 1974 was the serious fuel shortage the command had to contend with for much of the year.

Facts about Bandundu Airport (FDU):

• The closest airport to Bandundu Airport (FDU) is Nioki Airport (NIO), which is located 46 miles (74 kilometers) NNE of FDU.
• Bandundu Airport (FDU) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Bandundu Airport (FDU) is Cassidy International Airport (CXI), which is nearly antipodal to Bandundu Airport (meaning Bandundu Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cassidy International Airport), and is located 12,062 miles (19,412 kilometers) away in Christmas Island, Kiribati.
• In addition to being known as "Bandundu Airport", another name for FDU is "Bandundu Airport".