Nonstop flight route between Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Bishop, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between King Shaka International (DUR), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Eastern Sierra Regional AirportBishop Army Airfield (BIH), Bishop, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,607 miles (or 17,070 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 King Shaka International and Eastern Sierra Regional AirportBishop Army Airfield, 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 King Shaka International and Eastern Sierra Regional AirportBishop Army Airfield. 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 King Shaka International (DUR):

• The airport forms part of the Dube Tradeport, which will additionally consist of a trade zone linked to the airport's cargo terminal, facilities to support the airport such as nearby offices and transit accommodation for tourists, an integrated agricultural export zone, and an IT platform.
• The final obstacle was a delay in the approval of the project's Environmental Impact Assessment by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
• The arrivals area is located on the lower floor, with a baggage reclaim hall containing 5 conveyors that can be allocated between domestic and international use.
• The furthest airport from King Shaka International (DUR) is Hana Airport (HNM), which is located 11,682 miles (18,801 kilometers) away in Hana, Hawaii, United States.
• King Shaka International (DUR) currently has only 1 runway.
• Neighbouring communities are Tongaat to the north-west, Verulam to the south-west, and Umdloti to the south-east.
• The closest airport to King Shaka International (DUR) is Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) W of DUR.
• Because of King Shaka International's relatively low elevation of 295 feet, planes can take off or land at King Shaka International 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.

Facts about Eastern Sierra Regional AirportBishop Army Airfield (BIH):

• The closest airport to Eastern Sierra Regional AirportBishop Army Airfield (BIH) is Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH), which is located 31 miles (50 kilometers) NW of BIH.
• The furthest airport from Eastern Sierra Regional AirportBishop Army Airfield (BIH) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,267 miles (18,133 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• Eastern Sierra Regional AirportBishop Army Airfield (BIH) has 3 runways.
• After the end of World War II, Bishop AAF was turned over to Air Technical Service Command as a storage airfield.
• Eastern Sierra Regional Airport is two miles east of Bishop, in Inyo County, California.
• The USAF subleased from Inyo County runway use rights and a heliport area of 4.76 acres known as the Bishop Test Site from 15 November 1965 to 19 June 1971 and from 25 November 1980 to 30 September 1985.
• Because of Eastern Sierra Regional AirportBishop Army Airfield's high elevation of 4,124 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at BIH. Combined with a high temperature, this could make BIH a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.