Nonstop flight route between Big Spring, Texas, United States and Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS), Big Spring, Texas, United States and Yamaguchi Ube Airport (UBJ), Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,722 miles (or 10,818 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 Yamaguchi Ube 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 Yamaguchi Ube 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):

• The base was declared surplus and was turned over to the War Assets Administration after being closed.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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 its continuing effort to cut costs, ATC made some major changes in the undergraduate pilot training program.
• Instruction of the first class began in April 1952.
• By 1960, the consolidated pilot training program meant the consolidation of preflight, primary, and basic instruction into one school.
• 331st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

Facts about Yamaguchi Ube Airport (UBJ):

• In addition to being known as "Yamaguchi Ube Airport", other names for UBJ include "山口宇部空港" and "Yamaguchi Ube Kūkō".
• Yamaguchi Ube Airport (UBJ) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Yamaguchi Ube Airport (UBJ) is Rio Grande Regional Airport (RIG), which is nearly antipodal to Yamaguchi Ube Airport (meaning Yamaguchi Ube Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Rio Grande Regional Airport), and is located 12,200 miles (19,634 kilometers) away in Rio Grande, Brazil.
• The closest airport to Yamaguchi Ube Airport (UBJ) is Kokura Airport (KKJ), which is located 20 miles (32 kilometers) WSW of UBJ.
• Because of Yamaguchi Ube Airport's relatively low elevation of 15 feet, planes can take off or land at Yamaguchi Ube 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.