Nonstop flight route between Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Mesa, Arizona, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea and Falcon Field (MSC), Mesa, Arizona, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,632 miles (or 10,673 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 Falcon Field, 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 Falcon Field. 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):

• The origins of the airfield begin in 1941 when Australian troops built gun pits around a primitive airstrip in December 1941.
• It is located at the southern end of the island, near Buka Passage behind the town of Buka, and pre-war Chinatown.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Falcon Field (MSC):

• Falcon Field (MSC) has 2 runways.
• Falcon Field covers 784 acres at an elevation of 1,394 feet.
• Falcon Field got its start before World War II when Hollywood producer Leland Hayward and pilot John H.
• The furthest airport from Falcon Field (MSC) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,443 miles (18,416 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The closest airport to Falcon Field (MSC) is Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) SSE of MSC.
• But the British said they'd like the field to be named after one of their birds, and thus Falcon Field opened as the No.
• In addition to being known as "Falcon Field", other names for MSC include "Falcon Field Army Airfield" and "FFZ".