Nonstop flight route between West Columbia (near Columbia), South Carolina, United States and Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE), West Columbia (near Columbia), South Carolina, United States and Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL), Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,954 miles (or 9,582 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 Columbia Metropolitan Airport and Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández 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 Columbia Metropolitan Airport and Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández 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 Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE):

• One of the earliest units to train at Columbia AAB was the 17th Bombardment Group, which arrived on 9 February 1942.
• The furthest airport from Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,508 miles (18,520 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Columbia Metropolitan Airport's relatively low elevation of 236 feet, planes can take off or land at Columbia Metropolitan 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.
• Columbia Metropolitan Airport handled 1,027,699 passengers last year.
• In 1941 the airport came under formal military control and an immediate program began to turn the civil airport into a military airfield.
• In November 1982, Piedmont Airlines returned to Columbia with flights to Charlotte and later Newark.
• Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) is Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens Airport (CUB), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) ENE of CAE.

Facts about Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL):

• The closest airport to Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL) is Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ), which is located 116 miles (187 kilometers) SSW of RGL.
• The furthest airport from Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL) is Chita Kadala (HTA), which is nearly antipodal to Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (meaning Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chita Kadala), and is located 12,321 miles (19,829 kilometers) away in Chita, Russia.
• Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport", another name for RGL is "Aeropuerto de Rio Gallegos "Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández"".
• Because of Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport's relatively low elevation of 66 feet, planes can take off or land at Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández 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.