Nonstop flight route between Birdsville, Queensland, Australia and Wichita Falls, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Birdsville Airport (BVI), Birdsville, Queensland, Australia and Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,974 miles (or 14,442 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 Birdsville Airport and Sheppard 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 Birdsville Airport and Sheppard 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 Birdsville Airport (BVI):

• The closest airport to Birdsville Airport (BVI) is Bedourie Airport (BEU), which is located 107 miles (173 kilometers) N of BVI.
• Birdsville Airport (BVI) has 2 runways.
• Because of Birdsville Airport's relatively low elevation of 159 feet, planes can take off or land at Birdsville 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 Birdsville Airport (BVI) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is located 11,350 miles (18,266 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.

Facts about Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS):

• Over the next three decades three training schools were stationed at the base training students in aircraft maintenance, transportation, communication, civil engineering, Aircrew Life Support and field training.
• In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
• The closest airport to Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Kickapoo Downtown Airport (KIP), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) S of SPS.
• The 80th FTW mission is to provide combat airpower by producing top quality fighter pilots for the NATO alliance.
• The furthest airport from Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,952 miles (17,626 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Sheppard Field reached its peak strength of 46,340 people while serving as a separation center for troops being discharged following World War II from September through November 1945.
• Control and accountability for Sheppard Field was transferred to the Department of the Air Force 1 August 1948 and was reactivated 15 August 1948 to supplement Lackland AFB, Texas, as a basic training center renamed as Sheppard AFB.
• The Air Force School of Health Care Sciences offered training in dentistry, medicine, nursing, and health-services administration.
• Additionally, officers from all 13 participating nations fill subordinate leadership positions throughout the wing.