Nonstop flight route between Okinawa Prefecture, Japan and Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA), Okinawa Prefecture, Japan and General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport (MXL), Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,627 miles (or 10,666 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 Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō and General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada 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 Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō and General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada 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 Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA):

• On 30 June 1959 an F-100 from the wing crashed on Okinawa during a training flight after suffering an engine fire.
• What the Americans captured was a 4,600 feet strip of badly-damaged coral runway.
• The closest airport to Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA) is Naha Airport (OKA), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SW of DNA.
• The surrender of Japanese forces in the Ryukyu Islands came on 7 September.
• Kadena airfield was initially under the control of Seventh Air Force, however on 16 July 1945, Headquarters Eighth Air Force was transferred, without personnel, equipment, or combat elements to the town of Sakugawa, near Kadena from RAF High Wycombe England.
• The 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing was reassigned to Kadena from Osan-ni AB, South Korea on 1 November 1954, flying three squadrons of North American F-86 Sabres.
• Beginning in 1961, the 18th was sending its tactical squadrons frequently to South Vietnam and Thailand, initially with its RF-101 reconnaissance forces, and beginning in 1964 with its tactical fighter forces supporting USAF combat missions in the Vietnam War.
• In addition to being known as "Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō", another name for DNA is "Kadena AFB".
• In 1972, the 1st Special Operations Squadron was assigned, bringing their specialized Lockheed C/MC-130 Hercules aircraft to the wing.
• The furthest airport from Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (DNA) is Paulo Abdala Airport (FBE), which is nearly antipodal to Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō (meaning Kadena Air Base 嘉手納飛行場 Kadena Hikōjō is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Paulo Abdala Airport), and is located 12,381 miles (19,926 kilometers) away in Francisco Beltrao, Paraná, Brazil.

Facts about General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport (MXL):

• In addition to being known as "General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport", another name for MXL is "Aeropuerto Internacional de Mexicali General Rodolfo Sanchez Taboada".
• Front side of Main Terminal.
• The furthest airport from General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport (MXL) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,543 miles (18,577 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The closest airport to General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport (MXL) is Calexico International Airport (CXL), which is located only 16 miles (26 kilometers) W of MXL.
• General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport (MXL) currently has only 1 runway.
• General Aviation Terminal and Airport Commander's Office.
• Because of General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport's relatively low elevation of 75 feet, planes can take off or land at General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada 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.