Nonstop flight route between Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, United States and Selawik, Alaska, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from BIF to WLK:
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- About this route
- BIF Airport Information
- WLK Airport Information
- Facts about BIF
- Facts about WLK
- 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 WLK
- List of Nearest Airports to WLK
- Map of Furthest Airports from WLK
- List of Furthest Airports from WLK
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Biggs Army Airfield (BIF), Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, United States and Selawik Airport (WLK), Selawik, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,234 miles (or 5,205 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 Selawik 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 Selawik 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: |
|
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: | WLK / PASK |
Airport Name: | Selawik Airport |
Location: | Selawik, Alaska, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 66°35'59"N by 159°59'8"W |
Area Served: | Selawik, Alaska |
Operator/Owner: | Alaska DOT&PF - Northern Region |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 17 feet (5 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from WLK |
More Information: | WLK Maps & Info |
Facts about Biggs Army Airfield (BIF):
- 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.
- What is now Biggs Army Airfield started life in 1915 as an encampment at Fort Bliss, Texas for the 82d Field Artillery.
- Biggs Army Airfield (BIF) currently has only 1 runway.
- In addition to being known as "Biggs Army Airfield", another name for BIF is "Biggs Air Force BaseBiggs Field".
- In April 1943, the airfield came under the command of the Second Air Force and became headquarters for the XX Bomber Command.
- Beginning in 1950, the 97th Bomb Wing received its first B-50 Superfortress, an improved version of the B-29 capable of delivering atomic weapons.
- Operational with the B-52B by 1960, the 95th Bomb Wing was part of SAC's nuclear deterrent force, and performed airborne alert patrols.
- With the activation of TAC, the new command assigned Headquarters, Ninth Air Force to Biggs on 28 March upon its return from Germany.
- Enough construction was completed by the late summer of 1942, to allow the 303d Bombardment Group to began training with B-17Fs under Second Air Force on 7 August.
- 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.
Facts about Selawik Airport (WLK):
- The furthest airport from Selawik Airport (WLK) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 10,219 miles (16,446 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.
- The closest airport to Selawik Airport (WLK) is Bob Baker Memorial Airport (IAN), which is located 29 miles (46 kilometers) NNW of WLK.
- Because of Selawik Airport's relatively low elevation of 17 feet, planes can take off or land at Selawik 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.
- Selawik Airport (WLK) has 2 runways.