Nonstop flight route between Big Spring, Texas, United States and Araxos / Patras, Greece:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS), Big Spring, Texas, United States and Araxos Airport (GPA), Araxos / Patras, Greece would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,347 miles (or 10,215 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 Araxos 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 Araxos 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):

• 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.
• Construction of the Army Air Forces Bombardier School began on 15 May 1942, and the airfield received its first class of cadets on 16 September 1942.
• 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.
• By 1960, the consolidated pilot training program meant the consolidation of preflight, primary, and basic instruction into one school.
• In 1956, the Air Defense Command 331st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was transferred to Webb from Stewart Air Force Base in New York to defend the southern United States border on air intercept missions as part of the Central Air Defense Force.
• In 1968, ATC established a single phase-pilot training squadron concept at Webb.
• Instruction of the first class began in April 1952.
• 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.

Facts about Araxos Airport (GPA):

• Araxos was established as a military airport in 1936, but was construction of the runway not completed until 1941, when it also became the site of the first radar installation in Greece.
• The furthest airport from Araxos Airport (GPA) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,428 miles (18,392 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Information for Araxos Airport
• Araxos Airport (GPA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Araxos Airport's relatively low elevation of 46 feet, planes can take off or land at Araxos 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 closest airport to Araxos Airport (GPA) is Agrinio Airport (AGQ), which is located 31 miles (51 kilometers) N of GPA.
• In addition to being known as "Araxos Airport", another name for GPA is "Αεροδρόμιο Αράξου".
• The airport has served as the home base of the Hellenic Air Force's 116th Combat Wing since May 1969, and of its precursor the 116th Combat Group since April 1962.