Nonstop flight route between Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, United States and Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from BIF to LAY:
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- About this route
- BIF Airport Information
- LAY Airport Information
- Facts about BIF
- Facts about LAY
- Map of Nearest Airports to BIF
- List of Nearest Airports to BIF
- Map of Furthest Airports from BIF
- List of Furthest Airports from BIF
- Map of Nearest Airports to LAY
- List of Nearest Airports to LAY
- Map of Furthest Airports from LAY
- List of Furthest Airports from LAY
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Biggs Army Airfield (BIF), Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, United States and Ladysmith Airport (LAY), Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,826 miles (or 15,813 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 Biggs Army Airfield and Ladysmith 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 Biggs Army Airfield and Ladysmith Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | BIF / KBIF |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 31°50'57"N by 106°22'47"W |
| Operator/Owner: | U.S. Army ATCA-ASO |
| Airport Type: | Military |
| Elevation: | 3946 feet (1,203 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from BIF |
| More Information: | BIF Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | LAY / FALY |
| Airport Name: | Ladysmith Airport |
| Location: | Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| GPS Coordinates: | 28°34'47"S by 29°45'11"E |
| Operator/Owner: | Municipal |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 3548 feet (1,081 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from LAY |
| More Information: | LAY Maps & Info |
Facts about Biggs Army Airfield (BIF):
- In addition to being known as "Biggs Army Airfield", another name for BIF is "Biggs Air Force BaseBiggs Field".
- The 97th Air Refueling Squadron, activated in March 1949, saw its manning increase as it received its first KB-29P in January 1950.
- In April 1943, the airfield came under the command of the Second Air Force and became headquarters for the XX Bomber Command.
- Operational with the B-52B by 1960, the 95th Bomb Wing was part of SAC's nuclear deterrent force, and performed airborne alert patrols.
- After World War II, B-29 Superfortress personnel replacement training ended in October.
- While in Alaska, the 97th Bombardment Wing had been activated under the Hobson Plan, and the 97th Bomb Group became a subordinate organization under the wing.
- Between the two World Wars, Biggs served as a refueling stop for transient aircraft.
- The closest airport to Biggs Army Airfield (BIF) is El Paso International Airport (ELP), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) S of BIF.
- The furthest airport from Biggs Army Airfield (BIF) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,387 miles (18,325 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- Biggs Army Airfield (BIF) currently has only 1 runway.
Facts about Ladysmith Airport (LAY):
- Ladysmith Airport (LAY) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Ladysmith Airport (LAY) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,789 miles (18,972 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
- The closest airport to Ladysmith Airport (LAY) is Mokhotlong Airport (MKH), which is located 64 miles (102 kilometers) SW of LAY.
