Nonstop flight route between Isla de Culebra, Puerto Rico and Spangdahlem, Germany:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport (CPX), Isla de Culebra, Puerto Rico and Spangdahlem Air Base (SPM), Spangdahlem, Germany would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,462 miles (or 7,181 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 Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport and Spangdahlem Air Base, 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 Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport and Spangdahlem Air Base. 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 Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport (CPX):

• Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport handled 75,964 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport (CPX) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport (meaning Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,254 miles (19,722 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• A new passenger terminal was inaugurated in 1994, and its name was changed to Benjamín Rivera Noriega, in honor of a pilot from Ciales.
• After the Navy-Culebra protests, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority started administering the civilian flight operations in Culebra, inaugurating the first passenger terminal in October 24, 1976.
• Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport (CPX) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport", another name for CPX is "Aeropuerto Benjamín Rivera Noriega".
• Because of Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport's relatively low elevation of 49 feet, planes can take off or land at Benjamín Rivera Noriega 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 airport is noted for the mountain at the approach end of the runway to the North.
• The closest airport to Benjamín Rivera Noriega Airport (CPX) is Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport (VQS), which is located only 18 miles (28 kilometers) SW of CPX.

Facts about Spangdahlem Air Base (SPM):

• In addition to being known as "Spangdahlem Air Base", another name for SPM is "Spangdahlem AB".
• The furthest airport from Spangdahlem Air Base (SPM) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,986 miles (19,289 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• The Air Mobility Command 726th Air Mobility Squadron at Spangdahlem supports cargo and passenger traffic as part of its airlift mission, providing command and control, maintenance and aerial port capability to all AMC aircraft transiting their ramp.
• The 49th received two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards for F-105 operations at Spangdahlem.
• Spangdahlem Air Base is a United States Air Force base located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate.
• In 1979, the more capable Wild Weasel F-4G had replaced the EF-4Cs of the 81 TFS, and in 1980 through 1982, F-4Es replaced the F-4Ds of the 23d and 480th TFSs.
• The closest airport to Spangdahlem Air Base (SPM) is Bitburg Airport (BBJ), which is located only 6 miles (10 kilometers) WSW of SPM.
• The initial USAF military presence began on 1 September 1952 with the arrival of the 7352d Air Base Squadron on 1 September 1952 from Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base near Munich.
• The 49th TFW flew F-100s until 1961 when it converted to the Republic F-105D/F Thunderchief, commonly known as the "Thud".