Nonstop flight route between Benguela, Angola and Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Benguela Airport (BUG), Benguela, Angola and Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR), Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,823 miles (or 12,589 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 Benguela Airport and Grand Forks 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 Benguela Airport and Grand Forks 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 Benguela Airport (BUG):

• The furthest airport from Benguela Airport (BUG) is Johnston Atoll Airport (JON), which is nearly antipodal to Benguela Airport (meaning Benguela Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Johnston Atoll Airport), and is located 12,091 miles (19,459 kilometers) away in Johnston Atoll, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
• The closest airport to Benguela Airport (BUG) is Waku Kungo Airport/Cela (CEO), which is located 141 miles (227 kilometers) NE of BUG.
• In addition to being known as "Benguela Airport", other names for BUG include "Benguela/Monbaca Airport (Benguela)", "Aeroporto de Benguela" and "Benguela Airport".
• Benguela Airport (BUG) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Benguela Airport's relatively low elevation of 118 feet, planes can take off or land at Benguela 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.

Facts about Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR):

• Following the departure of the last B-1B aircraft in 1994, the base transferred to the new Air Mobility Command and the 319th Bomb Wing was redesignated as the 319th Air Refueling Wing.
• The closest airport to Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR) is Grand Forks International Airport (GFK), which is located only 10 miles (17 kilometers) E of RDR.
• SAGE operations were extremely expansive and GFADS was inactivated on 1 December 1963, when it was merged with the Minot Air Defense Sector at Minot AFB to the west.
• On 1 September 1958, the Strategic Air Command established the 4133d Strategic Wing at Grand Forks as part of its plan to disperse its B-52 heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike.
• In addition to being known as "Grand Forks Air Force Base", another name for RDR is "Grand Forks AFB".
• The furthest airport from Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,504 miles (16,904 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Opened 57 years ago in early 1957, the base's current host unit is the 319th Air Base Wing assigned to the Expeditionary Center of the Air Mobility Command.
• In 1971, the 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was inactivated and the 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron replaced the unit.