Nonstop flight route between Springfield/Chicopee, Massachusetts, United States and Lockhart River, Queensland, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Westover Air Reserve Base (CEF), Springfield/Chicopee, Massachusetts, United States and Lockhart River Airport (IRG), Lockhart River, Queensland, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,483 miles (or 15,262 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 Westover Air Reserve Base and Lockhart River 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 Westover Air Reserve Base and Lockhart River 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 Westover Air Reserve Base (CEF):

• In addition to being known as "Westover Air Reserve Base", another name for CEF is "Westover ARB".
• The mission of Westover was to organize and provide initial training to new combat units.
• In 1942 Westover Field was training center for anti-submarine, engineering, chemical platoons, bomber and fighter groups.
• The closest airport to Westover Air Reserve Base (CEF) is Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport (BAF), which is located only 10 miles (15 kilometers) WSW of CEF.
• Plans for Westover Field were made in 1939 as a result of the Nazi Germany invasion of Poland in 1939.
• The furthest airport from Westover Air Reserve Base (CEF) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,731 miles (18,880 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• With the end of World War II, Westover Field was designated as a permanent United States Army Air Force installation in 1945 and was not inactivated as most of the wartime temporary training airfields were in the fall of 1945.
• ADC established a more substantial presence in July 1957 when the 4729th Air Defense Group was activated.
• Westover was also the launching point of the heroic Berlin Airlift for 327 days during the Soviet blockade.

Facts about Lockhart River Airport (IRG):

• Lockhart River Airport is an airport in Lockhart River, Queensland, Australia, located approximately 800 km north of Cairns on the eastern coast of Cape York Peninsula.
• The closest airport to Lockhart River Airport (IRG) is Coen Airport (CUQ), which is located 69 miles (110 kilometers) S of IRG.
• In addition, the 479th Service Squadron provided supplies for the B-26 and B-17s assigned to the airport, as well as operating a repair and maintenance depot for B-24 Liberator aircraft.
• On 7 May 2005 a Fairchild Metroliner aircraft crashed 6 nautical miles north-west of Lockhart River Airport, killing all 15 people on board.
• Lockhart River Airport (IRG) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Lockhart River Airport (IRG) is Cesária Évora International Airport (VXE), which is located 11,611 miles (18,686 kilometers) away in São Vicente, Cape Verde.
• Because of Lockhart River Airport's relatively low elevation of 77 feet, planes can take off or land at Lockhart River 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.