Nonstop flight route between Cocoa Beach, Florida, United States and Los Negros Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Patrick Air Force Base (COF), Cocoa Beach, Florida, United States and Momote Airport (MAS), Los Negros Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,794 miles (or 14,153 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 Patrick Air Force Base and Momote 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 Patrick Air Force Base and Momote 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 Patrick Air Force Base (COF):

• The closest airport to Patrick Air Force Base (COF) is Merritt Island Airport (COI), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) NNW of COF.
• During investigation by a board of inquiry regarding the entire Flight 19 incident, attention was given to the loss of the NAS Banana River-based PBM.
• Five of the victims of the Khobar Towers bombing in 1996 were home stationed at Patrick AFB as part of the 71st Rescue Squadron.
• US Navy Boeing E-6 Mercury aircraft, part of Operation Looking Glass, were sometimes seen at Patrick AFB during the 2010-11 time frame and were often mistaken by onlookers for the previously retired VC-137 Presidential aircraft, which looks similar.
• In addition to being known as "Patrick Air Force Base", another name for COF is "Patrick AFB".
• The 920th Rescue Wing, part of Air Force Reserve Command, is another tenant command headquartered at Patrick AFB and is the installation's only military flying unit.
• The furthest airport from Patrick Air Force Base (COF) is Shark Bay Airport (MJK), which is located 11,550 miles (18,587 kilometers) away in Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia.
• The host wing for Patrick AFB is the 45th Space Wing, whose officers and airmen manage all launches of unmanned rockets at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station 12 miles to the north.

Facts about Momote Airport (MAS):

• Occupied on 2 March 1944 by the US Army's 1st Cavalry Division as part of the Battle of Los Negros, which was part of the Admiralty Islands campaign.
• The closest airport to Momote Airport (MAS) is Emirau Airport (EMI), which is located 179 miles (287 kilometers) E of MAS.
• The furthest airport from Momote Airport (MAS) is Governador Carlos Wilson Airport (FEN), which is nearly antipodal to Momote Airport (meaning Momote Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Governador Carlos Wilson Airport), and is located 12,028 miles (19,357 kilometers) away in Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil.
• Because of Momote Airport's relatively low elevation of 12 feet, planes can take off or land at Momote 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.
• Momote Airport (MAS) currently has only 1 runway.
• After liberating the airfield on 2 March 1944, the 40th Naval Construction Battalion repaired the airfield and the airfield became operational on 18 May 1944, although fighters were landing at the airfield only two days after occupation.