Nonstop flight route between Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Las Vegas, Nevada, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Nellis Air Force BaseLas Vegas Air Force Base (1948) Las Vegas Army Airfield (1941)[1] McCarren Field (c. 1935)[2] (LSV), Las Vegas, Nevada, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,458 miles (or 10,393 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 Buka Island Airport and Nellis Air Force BaseLas Vegas Air Force Base (1948) Las Vegas Army Airfield (1941)[1] McCarren Field (c. 1935)[2], 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 Buka Island Airport and Nellis Air Force BaseLas Vegas Air Force Base (1948) Las Vegas Army Airfield (1941)[1] McCarren Field (c. 1935)[2]. 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 Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• In 2004, the airport experienced some closures due to land disputes.
• On 13 May 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 36 fighters and 6 bombers at the airstrip.
• The furthest airport from Buka Island Airport (BUA) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,781 miles (18,959 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• Today the airport is the primary air portal into Bougainville, and even 60 years after the war, wreckage from the military use of the airfield by the Japanese and Americans is easily found in the area.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Buka Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Buka Island 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.
• On 26 July, an Imperial Japanese Navy special detachment was sent to inspect Buka Airfield, but considered it unacceptable as a prospect for a speedily constructed major airfield.

Facts about Nellis Air Force BaseLas Vegas Air Force Base (1948) Las Vegas Army Airfield (1941)[1] McCarren Field (c. 1935)[2] (LSV):

• The FWC supervised Red Flag operational training and other continuing air exercises, such as Green Flag and Silver Flag Alpha.
• Nellis Area I has the airfield, recreation and shopping facilities, dormitories/temporary lodging, some family housing, "and most of the command and support structures", e.g., Suter Hall for Red Flag.
• In addition to being known as "Nellis Air Force BaseLas Vegas Air Force Base (1948) Las Vegas Army Airfield (1941)[1] McCarren Field (c. 1935)[2]", another name for LSV is "Nellis AFB (military installation)".
• There were 2,873 households out of which 52.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families.
• The closest airport to Nellis Air Force BaseLas Vegas Air Force Base (1948) Las Vegas Army Airfield (1941)[1] McCarren Field (c. 1935)[2] (LSV) is North Las Vegas Airport (VGT), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) WSW of LSV.
• The Nellis Air Force Base CDP is a 3.1 sq mi region defined by the United States Census Bureau as of the 2010 United States Census.
• The furthest airport from Nellis Air Force BaseLas Vegas Air Force Base (1948) Las Vegas Army Airfield (1941)[1] McCarren Field (c. 1935)[2] (LSV) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,293 miles (18,174 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Las Vegas Army Airfield was both activated and began flying training on 20 December 1941, and gunnery training began in January 1942,:2–3 Many pieces of the destroyed aerial drone targets litter the hillside north of the gunnery range and can be seen in town when the sun reflects off of them.
• The USAF Fighter Weapons School was designated on 1 January 1954 from the squadron when the Air Crew School graduated its last Combat Crew Training Class In the mid-1950s for Operation Teapot nuclear testing, 1 of the 12 Zone Commanders was based at Nellis AFB for community liaison/public relations.Air Training Command suspended training at the Nellis fighter weapons school in late 1956 because of the almost total failure of the F-86 Sabre aircraft used at Nellis, and during 1958 ATC discontinued its Flying Training and Technical Training.