Nonstop flight route between Blythe, California, United States and Wichita, Kansas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Blythe Airport (BLH), Blythe, California, United States and McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB), Wichita, Kansas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,017 miles (or 1,636 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 Blythe Airport and McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Blythe Airport (BLH):

• Because of Blythe Airport's relatively low elevation of 399 feet, planes can take off or land at Blythe 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 furthest airport from Blythe Airport (BLH) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,472 miles (18,462 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• It never served Blythe, but Pacific Southwest Airlines conducted jet training flights from the Blythe Airport on occasion.
• During World War II the airfield was known as Blythe Army Air Field and was used by the United States Army Air Forces.
• Blythe Airport (BLH) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Blythe Airport", another name for BLH is "(former Blythe Army Air Field)".
• Blythe Army Air Field later became a sub-base of Muroc Army Air Field on 30 June 1945, and was inactivated on 18 October 1945, although during October–December 1946, the 477th Composite Group used the airfield for desert maneuvers, flying B-25 Mitchells.
• The closest airport to Blythe Airport (BLH) is Laguna Army Airfield (LGF), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) SSE of BLH.

Facts about McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB):

• The Air Force was not the sole occupant during this period.
• McConnell's primary mission is to provide global reach by conducting air refueling and airlift where and when needed.
• Other facilities at the airport, however, were meager.
• On 1 March 1962, Strategic Air Command stood up the 381st Strategic Missile Wing.
• A lease between the federal government and the city was concluded and on 1 March 1942, the AAF Materiel Center, Midwestern Procurement District was established at Wichita Army Airfield.
• The closest airport to McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB) is Cessna Aircraft Field (CEA), which is located only 2 miles (3 kilometers) NNE of IAB.
• In addition to being known as "McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield", another name for IAB is "McConnell AFB".
• However, the name was changed to McConnell Air Force Base after less than a year in honor of Wichita brothers Fred and Thomas McConnell, both Air Force pilots and World War II veterans.
• The furthest airport from McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,740 miles (17,285 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In spite of the difficulty of building an installation and initiating an entirely new program simultaneously, the base developed into a highly specialized training center.