Nonstop flight route between Big Spring, Texas, United States and Northampton / Peterborough, United Kingdom:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS), Big Spring, Texas, United States and Sywell Aerodrome (ORM), Northampton / Peterborough, United Kingdom would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,906 miles (or 7,895 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 Sywell Aerodrome, 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 Sywell Aerodrome. 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.
• In 1968, ATC established a single phase-pilot training squadron concept at Webb.
• Activated on 26 June 1942, the mission of Big Spring AAF was to train aviation cadets in high altitude precision bombing as bombardiers.
• Instruction of the first class began in April 1952.
• In August 1972, ATC established a pilot instructor training course for Vietnamese Air Force instructors at Webb AFB, Texas.
• 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 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.
• 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 Sywell Aerodrome (ORM):

• Because of Sywell Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 424 feet, planes can take off or land at Sywell Aerodrome 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.
• In addition to being known as "Sywell Aerodrome", another name for ORM is "Northampton/Sywell Aerodrome".
• An industrial area in the complex accommodates firms, agencies and other commercial businesses.
• Sywell Aerodrome is the local aerodrome serving Northampton, Wellingborough, Kettering and Rushden as it is situated midway between these towns.
• Sywell Aerodrome (ORM) has 4 runways.
• The aerodrome opened in 1928 and during the Second World War the aerodrome as RAF Sywell, was used as a training facility and later an important centre for the repair of Wellington bombers and extensive sheds from this time still remain on the site.
• Music in Flight is an airshow held at Sywell, in which an orchestra plays classical music to accompany flying aircraft, hot air balloons, the Red Devils parachute display team and a fireworks display.
• The furthest airport from Sywell Aerodrome (ORM) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,838 miles (19,051 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• Brooklands Flying Club is based at Sywell and flies the Aero AT-3 and Cessna 172 which are used as trainers for Private Pilot Licenses, Joint Aviation Requirements and night rating training.
• The organizations STARE and CPRE campaigned against this change, arguing that it would lead to more and larger aircraft flying over the area and disturb its "rural tranquility".
• The closest airport to Sywell Aerodrome (ORM) is Milton Keynes Airport (KYN), which is located only 18 miles (30 kilometers) S of ORM.
• In 2009, Sywell was awarded the Best General Aviation Airport 2009 airport member award by the Airport Operators Association.