Nonstop flight route between Decatur, Alabama, United States and Edwards, California, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from DCU to EDW:
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- About this route
- DCU Airport Information
- EDW Airport Information
- Facts about DCU
- Facts about EDW
- Map of Nearest Airports to DCU
- List of Nearest Airports to DCU
- Map of Furthest Airports from DCU
- List of Furthest Airports from DCU
- Map of Nearest Airports to EDW
- List of Nearest Airports to EDW
- Map of Furthest Airports from EDW
- List of Furthest Airports from EDW
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Pryor Field Regional Airport (DCU), Decatur, Alabama, United States and Edwards Air Force Base (EDW), Edwards, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,749 miles (or 2,814 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 Pryor Field Regional Airport and Edwards Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | DCU / KDCU |
| Airport Name: | Pryor Field Regional Airport |
| Location: | Decatur, Alabama, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 34°39'15"N by 86°56'43"W |
| Area Served: | Decatur, Alabama |
| Operator/Owner: | Decatur/Athens Airport Authority |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 592 feet (180 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from DCU |
| More Information: | DCU Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | EDW / KEDW |
| Airport Name: | Edwards Air Force Base |
| Location: | Edwards, California, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 34°54'20"N by 117°53'0"W |
| Operator/Owner: | United States Air Force |
| View all routes: | Routes from EDW |
| More Information: | EDW Maps & Info |
Facts about Pryor Field Regional Airport (DCU):
- Pryor Field Regional Airport covers an area of 200 acres which contains one asphalt paved runway measuring 6,107 x 100 ft.
- The closest airport to Pryor Field Regional Airport (DCU) is Huntsville International Airport (HSV), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) E of DCU.
- Because of Pryor Field Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 592 feet, planes can take off or land at Pryor Field Regional 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 furthest airport from Pryor Field Regional Airport (DCU) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,180 miles (17,992 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Pryor Field Regional Airport (DCU) currently has only 1 runway.
Facts about Edwards Air Force Base (EDW):
- The base is next to Rogers Dry Lake, an endorheic desert salt pan whose hard dry lake surface provides a natural extension to Edwards' runways.
- A water stop on the Southern Pacific Railroad since 1876, the site was largely unsettled until the early 20th century.
- The P-59s were tested at Muroc from October 1942 through February 1944 without a single accident and, though the aircraft did not prove to be combat worthy, the successful conduct of its test program, combined with the success of the Lockheed XP-80 program which followed it in early 1944, sealed the future destiny of the remote high desert installation.
- A major reason for the growth of Edwards AFB was the nearness of West Coast aircraft manufacturers.
- It is the home of the Air Force Test Center and is the Air Force Materiel Command center of excellence for conducting and supporting research and developmental flight test and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to combat.
- The closest airport to Edwards Air Force Base (EDW) is Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV), which is located only 19 miles (30 kilometers) NW of EDW.
- As a military airbase, civilian access is severely restricted, but is possible with prior coordination and good reason.
- The furthest airport from Edwards Air Force Base (EDW) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,414 miles (18,369 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
