Nonstop flight route between Big Spring, Texas, United States and Phalaborwa, South Africa:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from BGS to PHW:
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- About this route
- BGS Airport Information
- PHW Airport Information
- Facts about BGS
- Facts about PHW
- Map of Nearest Airports to BGS
- List of Nearest Airports to BGS
- Map of Furthest Airports from BGS
- List of Furthest Airports from BGS
- Map of Nearest Airports to PHW
- List of Nearest Airports to PHW
- Map of Furthest Airports from PHW
- List of Furthest Airports from PHW
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS), Big Spring, Texas, United States and Hendrik Van Eck Airport (PHW), Phalaborwa, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,519 miles (or 15,319 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 Hendrik Van Eck 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 Hendrik Van Eck Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | BGS / |
Airport Name: | Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield |
Location: | Big Spring, Texas, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 32°13'5"N by 101°31'17"W |
View all routes: | Routes from BGS |
More Information: | BGS Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | PHW / FAPH |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Phalaborwa, South Africa |
GPS Coordinates: | 23°56'12"S by 31°9'18"E |
Area Served: | Phalaborwa, South Africa |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 1432 feet (436 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from PHW |
More Information: | PHW Maps & Info |
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 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.
- 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 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.
- The AT-11 which was activated to replace the separate air and ground units.
- 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 base was declared surplus and was turned over to the War Assets Administration after being closed.
Facts about Hendrik Van Eck Airport (PHW):
- The closest airport to Hendrik Van Eck Airport (PHW) is Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) SSW of PHW.
- In addition to being known as "Hendrik Van Eck Airport", another name for PHW is "Phalaborwa Airport".
- The furthest airport from Hendrik Van Eck Airport (PHW) is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is located 11,944 miles (19,222 kilometers) away in Hilo, Hawaii, United States.
- Hendrik Van Eck Airport (PHW) currently has only 1 runway.