Nonstop flight route between Big Spring, Texas, United States and Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from BGS to RTS:
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- About this route
- BGS Airport Information
- RTS Airport Information
- Facts about BGS
- Facts about RTS
- 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 RTS
- List of Nearest Airports to RTS
- Map of Furthest Airports from RTS
- List of Furthest Airports from RTS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS), Big Spring, Texas, United States and Rottnest Airport (RTS), Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,279 miles (or 16,542 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 Rottnest 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 Rottnest 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: | RTS / YRTI |
| Airport Name: | Rottnest Airport |
| Location: | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia |
| GPS Coordinates: | 32°0'24"S by 115°32'22"E |
| Operator/Owner: | Rottnest Island Authority |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 12 feet (4 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from RTS |
| More Information: | RTS Maps & Info |
Facts about Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS):
- The airfield was activated as Big Spring Air Force Base on 1 October 1951 by the United States Air Force Air Training Command and established the 3560th Pilot Training Wing.
- At that time, nearly 6,000 students had graduated and the field's training aircraft had flown approximately 400,000 hours and more than 60 million miles.
- Instruction of the first class began in April 1952.
- 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.
- 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.
- In 1968, ATC established a single phase-pilot training squadron concept at Webb.
- 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.
- 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.
Facts about Rottnest Airport (RTS):
- Because of Rottnest Airport's relatively low elevation of 12 feet, planes can take off or land at Rottnest 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 Rottnest Airport (RTS) is Jandakot Airport (JAD), which is located 21 miles (34 kilometers) ESE of RTS.
- Other services continued after Woods Airways departed and at various stages facilities were upgraded.
- The single 1,290 m × 18 m runway runs east-west and is situated behind Thomsons Bay and south of Government House Lake.
- The furthest airport from Rottnest Airport (RTS) is L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA), which is nearly antipodal to Rottnest Airport (meaning Rottnest Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from L.F. Wade International Airport), and is located 12,409 miles (19,970 kilometers) away in Ferry Reach (near Hamilton), Bermuda.
- Rottnest Airport (RTS) currently has only 1 runway.
