Nonstop flight route between De Ridder, Louisiana, United States and Wichita Falls, Texas, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from DRI to SPS:
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- About this route
- DRI Airport Information
- SPS Airport Information
- Facts about DRI
- Facts about SPS
- Map of Nearest Airports to DRI
- List of Nearest Airports to DRI
- Map of Furthest Airports from DRI
- List of Furthest Airports from DRI
- Map of Nearest Airports to SPS
- List of Nearest Airports to SPS
- Map of Furthest Airports from SPS
- List of Furthest Airports from SPS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Beauregard Regional AirportDeRidder Army Air Base (DRI), De Ridder, Louisiana, United States and Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 371 miles (or 597 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 Beauregard Regional AirportDeRidder Army Air Base and Sheppard Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | DRI / KDRI |
| Airport Name: | Beauregard Regional AirportDeRidder Army Air Base |
| Location: | De Ridder, Louisiana, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 30°49'54"N by 93°20'24"W |
| Area Served: | De Ridder, Louisiana |
| Operator/Owner: | Beauregard Parish |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 202 feet (62 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from DRI |
| More Information: | DRI Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SPS / KSPS |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Wichita Falls, Texas, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 33°59'20"N by 98°29'30"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from SPS |
| More Information: | SPS Maps & Info |
Facts about Beauregard Regional AirportDeRidder Army Air Base (DRI):
- A requirement of the deed was that the property had to remain a public airport and all benefits of the property must be used to benefit the airport.
- The furthest airport from Beauregard Regional AirportDeRidder Army Air Base (DRI) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 10,994 miles (17,693 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
- The airport continues to host military exercises which include parachute jumps by Fort Polk personnel.
- The Beauregard Parish Police Jury assumed responsibility for the airport that year.
- In late 1942, the airfield was reassigned to III Tactical Air Command which performed medium and light bomber tactical bomber training.
- The closest airport to Beauregard Regional AirportDeRidder Army Air Base (DRI) is Chennault International Airport (CWF), which is located 44 miles (72 kilometers) SSE of DRI.
- Two decades later the nation was experiencing the effects of the Great Depression.
- Because of Beauregard Regional AirportDeRidder Army Air Base's relatively low elevation of 202 feet, planes can take off or land at Beauregard Regional AirportDeRidder Army Air Base 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 Beauregard Parish Police Jury bought the previously leased 160 acres plus an additional 280 acres for $11,000.
- on 31 March 1944, the II Tactical Air Division of III Tactical Air Command was assigned to DeRidder and conducted replacement training.
- Beauregard Regional AirportDeRidder Army Air Base (DRI) has 2 runways.
Facts about Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS):
- The furthest airport from Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,952 miles (17,626 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- The closest airport to Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Kickapoo Downtown Airport (KIP), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) S of SPS.
- Sheppard Air Force Base is named in honor of Senator John Morris Sheppard of Texas, chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee from 1933 until his death on 9 April 1941.
- Comptroller, transportation, and intelligence training moved to Sheppard from Lowry AFB, Colorado, in the fall of 1954.
- The host unit at Sheppard is the 82d Training Wing, which provides specialized technical training, medical, and field training for officers, Airmen, and civilians of all branches of the military, other DoD agencies, and foreign nationals.
- The 80th Flying Training Wing, also at Sheppard, conducts the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program, a multi-nationally manned and managed flying training program chartered to produce combat pilots for both USAF and NATO.
- In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
- The 3630th Flying Training Wing was activated in 1965, and it assumed the helicopter training program.
