Nonstop flight route between Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom and Des Moines, Iowa, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Barrow/Walney Island Airport (BWF), Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom and Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,987 miles (or 6,417 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 Barrow/Walney Island Airport and Des Moines International Airport, 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 Barrow/Walney Island Airport and Des Moines International Airport. 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 Barrow/Walney Island Airport (BWF):

• During the early 20th century at a site 1 mile south west of Barrow/Walney Island Airport was the site of one of the UK's most important airship production facilities.
• The closest airport to Barrow/Walney Island Airport (BWF) is Blackpool International Airport (BLK), which is located 27 miles (43 kilometers) SSE of BWF.
• Barrow/Walney Island Airport is located on Walney Island, 1.5 NM northwest of the centre of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England.
• Barrow/Walney Island Airport (BWF) has 2 runways.
• In 2004 a study into the airport revealed that a £1 million upgrade would attract thousands of business passengers a year flying to London and Europe.
• Barrow/Walney Island Airport was opened during World War II, though the site had been used as an airship station since World War I.
• The furthest airport from Barrow/Walney Island Airport (BWF) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,811 miles (19,007 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
• Because of Barrow/Walney Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 44 feet, planes can take off or land at Barrow/Walney 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.
• Commercial flights used the airport during the 1980s and 1990s.

Facts about Des Moines International Airport (DSM):

• The airport hosts the Des Moines Air National Guard Base and 132d Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard.
• Des Moines International Airport covers 2,625 acres at an elevation of 958 feet above mean sea level.
• This airport is in in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which called it a primary commercial service airport.
• The furthest airport from Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,789 miles (17,363 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is Ankeny Regional Airport (IKV), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) NNE of DSM.
• Des Moines International Airport (DSM) has 2 runways.
• Because of Des Moines International Airport's relatively low elevation of 958 feet, planes can take off or land at Des Moines International 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 December 2, 1978, Douglas C-47A N41447 of SMB Stage Line crashed short of the runway while on a cargo flight from Chicago, Illinois.
• In 2012, the airport had 1,038,484 enplanementsFederal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 919,990 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 853,596 in 2009 and 932,828 in 2011.
• During the 1920s the Des Moines area had several small private airports for general aviation and airmail.
• The airport was originally governed by the City of Des Moines' Parks Department.