Nonstop flight route between Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, United States and Shafter, California, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from BIF to MIT:
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- About this route
- BIF Airport Information
- MIT Airport Information
- Facts about BIF
- Facts about MIT
- 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 MIT
- List of Nearest Airports to MIT
- Map of Furthest Airports from MIT
- List of Furthest Airports from MIT
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Biggs Army Airfield (BIF), Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, United States and Shafter Airport (MIT), Shafter, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 778 miles (or 1,252 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 relatively short distance between Biggs Army Airfield and Shafter Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
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: | MIT / KMIT |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Shafter, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 35°30'20"N by 119°11'30"W |
Area Served: | Shafter, California |
Operator/Owner: | Minter Field Airport District |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 424 feet (129 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from MIT |
More Information: | MIT Maps & Info |
Facts about Biggs Army Airfield (BIF):
- Between the two World Wars, Biggs served as a refueling stop for transient aircraft.
- With World War II imminent, a massive construction effort was begun at Biggs Army Airfield between 1942–1945.
- Along with the B-50-equipped 97th Bomb Wing, Strategic Air Command established the 95th Bombardment Wing at Biggs in June 1952 and planned to base its heavy B-36 Peacemaker heavy bomber at the base.
- After World War II, B-29 Superfortress personnel replacement training ended in October.
- In addition to being known as "Biggs Army Airfield", another name for BIF is "Biggs Air Force BaseBiggs Field".
- 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.
- On 27 September 1947, Biggs Army Airfield became Biggs Air Force Base with the establishment of the United States Air Force, replacing the Army Air Forces.
- In 1920 Camp Owen Bierne opened on the site of the current airbase as a base for airship operations but the units were soon disbanded.
- A period of organization and continued construction followed, with II Bomber Command taking over training.
- Biggs Army Airfield (BIF) currently has only 1 runway.
- 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.
Facts about Shafter Airport (MIT):
- The furthest airport from Shafter Airport (MIT) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,404 miles (18,353 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
- Because of Shafter Airport's relatively low elevation of 424 feet, planes can take off or land at Shafter 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.
- With the end of the war in 1945, airfield was determined to be excess by the military and turned over to the local government for civil use in March 1948.
- The closest airport to Shafter Airport (MIT) is Meadows Field (BFL), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) ESE of MIT.
- In addition to being known as "Shafter Airport", another name for MIT is "Minter Field".
- The Gossamer Condor piloted by Bryan Allen won the first Kremer prize on August 23, 1977 by completing a figure '8' course specified by the Royal Aeronautical Society at Minter Field.
- With the relative completion of construction in July 1942, the airfield was renamed Minter Field Army Airfield a member of the locally prominent Minter family.
- Shafter Airport (MIT) has 2 runways.