Nonstop flight route between Big Spring, Texas, United States and Shell Mera, Ecuador:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS), Big Spring, Texas, United States and Rio Amazonas Airport (PTZ), Shell Mera, Ecuador would travel a Great Circle distance of 2,790 miles (or 4,489 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 Rio Amazonas 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 Rio Amazonas 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):

• 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 facility was brought back into service as a primary training installation because of the Korean War and the need for additional pilots.
• 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.
• 331st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
• Activated on 26 June 1942, the mission of Big Spring AAF was to train aviation cadets in high altitude precision bombing as bombardiers.
• 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.
• The base was declared surplus and was turned over to the War Assets Administration after being closed.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Rio Amazonas Airport (PTZ):

• The furthest airport from Rio Amazonas Airport (PTZ) is Pinang Kampai Airport (DUM), which is nearly antipodal to Rio Amazonas Airport (meaning Rio Amazonas Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Pinang Kampai Airport), and is located 12,401 miles (19,958 kilometers) away in Dumai, Sumatra, Indonesia.
• The closest airport to Rio Amazonas Airport (PTZ) is Chachoan Airport (ATF), which is located 41 miles (66 kilometers) WNW of PTZ.
• Rio Amazonas Airport (PTZ) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Rio Amazonas Airport", other names for PTZ include "Areopuerto Rio Amazonas" and "SESM".