Nonstop flight route between Derby, Western Australia, Australia and Spokane, Washington, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from DRB to SKA:
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- About this route
- DRB Airport Information
- SKA Airport Information
- Facts about DRB
- Facts about SKA
- Map of Nearest Airports to DRB
- List of Nearest Airports to DRB
- Map of Furthest Airports from DRB
- List of Furthest Airports from DRB
- Map of Nearest Airports to SKA
- List of Nearest Airports to SKA
- Map of Furthest Airports from SKA
- List of Furthest Airports from SKA
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Derby Airport (DRB), Derby, Western Australia, Australia and Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA), Spokane, Washington, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,427 miles (or 13,561 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 Derby Airport and Fairchild Air Force 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 Derby Airport and Fairchild Air Force Base. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | DRB / YDBY |
Airport Name: | Derby Airport |
Location: | Derby, Western Australia, Australia |
GPS Coordinates: | 17°22'12"S by 123°39'38"E |
Operator/Owner: | Shire of Derby/West Kimberley |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 24 feet (7 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from DRB |
More Information: | DRB Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SKA / KSKA |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Spokane, Washington, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 47°36'54"N by 117°39'20"W |
View all routes: | Routes from SKA |
More Information: | SKA Maps & Info |
Facts about Derby Airport (DRB):
- Because of Derby Airport's relatively low elevation of 24 feet, planes can take off or land at Derby 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 Derby Airport (DRB) is Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport (PTP), which is nearly antipodal to Derby Airport (meaning Derby Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport), and is located 12,085 miles (19,449 kilometers) away in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe.
- Derby Airport (DRB) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Derby Airport (DRB) is Broome International Airport (BME), which is located 102 miles (165 kilometers) WSW of DRB.
Facts about Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA):
- The closest airport to Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Spokane International Airport (GEG), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) E of SKA.
- Since 1942, Fairchild Air Force Base/Station has been a key part of the United States' defense strategy—from World War II repair depot, to Strategic Air Command bomber wing during the Cold War, to Air Mobility Command air refueling wing during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
- In addition to being known as "Fairchild Air Force Base", another name for SKA is "Fairchild AFB".
- In June 1992, with the inactivation of Strategic Air Command, the B-52 portion of the wing became part of the newly established Air Combat Command and was re-designated the 92d Bomb Wing.
- The furthest airport from Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,665 miles (17,163 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
- As military operations in Vietnam escalated in the mid-1960s, the demand for air refueling increased.
- On 24 June 1994 one of the few remaining B-52H aircraft at Fairchild crashed during a practice flight for an upcoming air show, killing all four crew members.