Nonstop flight route between Cocoa Beach, Florida, United States and Port Vila, Vanuatu:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Patrick Air Force Base (COF), Cocoa Beach, Florida, United States and Bauerfield International Airport (VLI), Port Vila, Vanuatu would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,047 miles (or 12,950 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 Bauerfield 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 Patrick Air Force Base and Bauerfield 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 Patrick Air Force Base (COF):

• NAS Banana River closed in September 1947 after a gradual deactivation and was placed in a caretaker status.
• In addition to being known as "Patrick Air Force Base", another name for COF is "Patrick AFB".
• Cost comparison studies done in the early 1950s pointed out the desirability of letting contractors operate the station.
• The base is a census-designated place and had a resident population of 1,222 at the 2010 census.
• 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.
• Present Day:Brig Gen Nina Armagno
• The Air Force Technical Applications Center is a tenant command headquartered at Patrick AFB.
• In 1971, the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute was established at Patrick AFB.
• 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 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.

Facts about Bauerfield International Airport (VLI):

• Because of Bauerfield International Airport's relatively low elevation of 68 feet, planes can take off or land at Bauerfield 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.
• The airfield was originally named Efate Field, Vila Field or McDonald Field but was later officially named Bauer Field after Lt-Col.
• In addition to being known as "Bauerfield International Airport", another name for VLI is "Port Vila International Airport".
• Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) is Letfotar Airport (MOM), which is nearly antipodal to Bauerfield International Airport (meaning Bauerfield International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Letfotar Airport), and is located 12,383 miles (19,928 kilometers) away in Moudjeria, Mauritania.
• The closest airport to Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) is Siwo Airport (EAE), which is located 42 miles (68 kilometers) N of VLI.