Nonstop flight route between Hancock, Michigan, United States and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX), Hancock, Michigan, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,740 miles (or 12,456 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 Houghton County Memorial Airport and Buka Island 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 Houghton County Memorial Airport and Buka Island 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 Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX):

• The furthest airport from Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,907 miles (17,554 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX) is Sawyer International Airport (MQT), which is located 76 miles (123 kilometers) SE of CMX.
• For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2011, the airport had 16,054 aircraft operations, an average of 44 per day:of these, 68% were general aviation, 19% scheduled commercial, 13% air taxi and less than 1% military.
• Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX) has 2 runways.

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Buka Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Buka 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.
• In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea.
• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• The furthest airport from Buka Island Airport (BUA) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,781 miles (18,959 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
• In 2004, the airport experienced some closures due to land disputes.
• It is located at the southern end of the island, near Buka Passage behind the town of Buka, and pre-war Chinatown.
• Today the airport is the primary air portal into Bougainville, and even 60 years after the war, wreckage from the military use of the airfield by the Japanese and Americans is easily found in the area.
• The origins of the airfield begin in 1941 when Australian troops built gun pits around a primitive airstrip in December 1941.
• On 13 May 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 36 fighters and 6 bombers at the airstrip.