Nonstop flight route between Balgo Hill, Western Australia, Australia and Spokane, Washington, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Balgo Hill Airport (BQW), Balgo Hill, Western Australia, Australia and Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA), Spokane, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,363 miles (or 13,458 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 Balgo Hill Airport and Fairchild Air Force Base, 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 Balgo Hill Airport and Fairchild Air Force Base. 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 Balgo Hill Airport (BQW):

• The furthest airport from Balgo Hill Airport (BQW) is Barbuda Codrington Airport (BBQ), which is located 11,773 miles (18,947 kilometers) away in Codrington, Barbuda, Antigua and Barbuda.
• Balgo Hill Airport (BQW) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Balgo Hill Airport (BQW) is Lake Gregory Airport (LGE), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) W of BQW.

Facts about Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA):

• The host unit at Fairchild is the 92d Air Refueling Wing assigned to the Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force.
• The furthest airport from Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,665 miles (17,163 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• In June 1992, with the inactivation of Strategic Air Command, the B-52 portion of the wing became part of the newly established Air Combat Command and was re-designated the 92d Bomb Wing.
• The closest airport to Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Spokane International Airport (GEG), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) E of SKA.
• As military operations in Vietnam escalated in the mid-1960s, the demand for air refueling increased.
• On 15 March 1966, the 336th Combat Crew Training Group was established at Fairchild.
• In addition to being known as "Fairchild Air Force Base", another name for SKA is "Fairchild AFB".
• Following the destruction of the World Trade Center, the wing began providing around-the-clock air refueling of Combat Air Patrol fighter aircraft and initiated 24-hour ground alert operations in support of Operation Noble Eagle.
• Since 1942, Fairchild Air Force Base/Station has been a key part of the United States' defense strategy—from World War II repair depot, to Strategic Air Command bomber wing during the Cold War, to Air Mobility Command air refueling wing during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.