Nonstop flight route between Cocoa Beach, Florida, United States and Pinehurst / Southern Pines, North Carolina, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Patrick Air Force Base (COF), Cocoa Beach, Florida, United States and Moore County Airport (SOP), Pinehurst / Southern Pines, North Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 489 miles (or 787 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 relatively short distance between Patrick Air Force Base and Moore County Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Patrick Air Force Base (COF):

• At 19:50, the tanker SS Gaines Mills reported seeing a mid-air explosion, then flames leaping 100 feet high and burning on the sea for 10 minutes.
• Five of the victims of the Khobar Towers bombing in 1996 were home stationed at Patrick AFB as part of the 71st Rescue Squadron.
• In addition to being known as "Patrick Air Force Base", another name for COF is "Patrick AFB".
• NAS Banana River was transferred to the United States Air Force on September 1, 1948 and renamed the Joint Long Range Proving Ground on June 10, 1949.
• The 9/11 attacks prompted the Air Force to close the heavily used 4-lane State Road A1A, which ran immediately in front of the AFTAC Headquarters building.
• Additional tenant activities at Patrick AFB include the 920th Rescue Wing, the Air Force Technical Applications Center and the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute.
• 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.
• 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.
•  United States Air Force
• Three months after World War II, on December 5, 1945, NAS Banana River had an ancillary role in the disappearance of Flight 19, a formation of five TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, which had departed NAS Fort Lauderdale, Florida on a routine over-water training mission.
• 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.

Facts about Moore County Airport (SOP):

• The furthest airport from Moore County Airport (SOP) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,608 miles (18,682 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Moore County Airport (SOP) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Moore County Airport (SOP) is Mackall Army Airfield (HFF), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) SSW of SOP.
• However, a recent court ruling said the village had no legal jurisdiction over the airport because it operates under an independent authority that was established in 1993.
• The rift was exacerbated by the Airport Authority's $2 million proposal which was approved by lawmakers, to build several large hangars using taxpayer funds.
• Because of Moore County Airport's relatively low elevation of 461 feet, planes can take off or land at Moore County 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.