Nonstop flight route between Edwards, California, United States and Helena / West Helena, Arkansas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Edwards Air Force Base (EDW), Edwards, California, United States and Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield (HEE), Helena / West Helena, Arkansas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,540 miles (or 2,479 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 Edwards Air Force Base and Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Edwards Air Force Base (EDW):

• Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation in southern California, located approximately 22 miles northeast of Lancaster.
• 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.
• The first major aerial activity occurred at Muroc in 1937 when the entire Army Air Corps participated in a large-scale maneuver.
• Aircraft testing continued at this desert "Army Air Base", then on 8 November 1943, the base title was changed to "Muroc Army Air Field, Muroc".
• 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.
• 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.
• At this time, another colorful character in Edwards' history, Pancho Barnes, built her renowned Rancho Oro Verde Fly-Inn Dude Ranch that would be the scene of many parties and celebrations to come.
• 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.
• With the arrival of the Bell Aircraft P-59 Airacomet jet fighter, the Mojave Desert station was chosen as a secluded site for testing this super-secret airplane.
• In December 1949, Muroc was renamed Edwards Air Force Base in honor of Captain Glen Edwards, who was killed a year earlier in the crash of the Northrop YB-49 Flying Wing.

Facts about Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield (HEE):

• Because of Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield's relatively low elevation of 242 feet, planes can take off or land at Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield 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.
• Thompson-Robbins Airport covers 610 acres at an elevation of 242 feet.
• The furthest airport from Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield (HEE) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,968 miles (17,651 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield (HEE) is Tunica Municipal Airport (UTM), which is located 20 miles (32 kilometers) ENE of HEE.
• Airline flights ended in 1959.
• Thompson-Robbins AirportThompson-Robbins Army Airfield (HEE) has 2 runways.
• The airfield was turned over to civil control at the end of the war though the War Assets Administration.