Nonstop flight route between Big Spring, Texas, United States and Rourkela, India:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS), Big Spring, Texas, United States and Rourkela Airport (RRK), Rourkela, India would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,650 miles (or 13,920 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 Rourkela 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 Rourkela 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 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.
• 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.
• Webb AFB was turned over to the General Services Agency for disposal on 1 January 1978 and the property later turned over to the Big Spring Industrial Park.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 Rourkela Airport (RRK):

• In addition to being known as "Rourkela Airport", other names for RRK include "राउरकेला हवाई अड्डे" and "Rā'urakēlā havā'ī aḍḍē".
• Rourkela Airport (RRK) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Rourkela Airport (RRK) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,482 miles (18,478 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• Because of Rourkela Airport's relatively low elevation of 656 feet, planes can take off or land at Rourkela 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 Rourkela Airport (RRK) is Birsa Munda Airport (IXR), which is located 80 miles (129 kilometers) NNE of RRK.
• In 1961, this airport was taken by the Airports Authority of India.
• A three member survey team of AAI that made a spot assessment of the Rourkela airstrip in October 2007 to find out the feasibility of re-introduction of air connectivity to the city expressed satisfaction over the existing infrastructure.