Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, United States:
Departure Airport:
(51°40'55"N by 1°47'24"W)
Arrival Airport:
(36°13'22"N by 81°5'53"W)
Distance from FFD to IKB:
3,882.41 miles (6,248.12 km)
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Jump to:
- About this route
- FFD Airport Information
- IKB Airport Information
- Facts about FFD
- Facts about IKB
- Map of Nearest Airports to FFD
- List of Nearest Airports to FFD
- Map of Furthest Airports from FFD
- List of Furthest Airports from FFD
- Map of Nearest Airports to IKB
- List of Nearest Airports to IKB
- Map of Furthest Airports from IKB
- List of Furthest Airports from IKB
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Wilkes County Airport (IKB), North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,882 miles (or 6,248 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 RAF Fairford and Wilkes County 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 RAF Fairford and Wilkes County Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | FFD / EGVA |
| Airport Name: | RAF Fairford |
| Location: | Fairford, England, United Kingdom |
| GPS Coordinates: | 51°40'55"N by 1°47'24"W |
| Operator/Owner: | Ministry of Defence |
| View all routes: | Routes from FFD |
| More Information: | FFD Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | IKB / KUKF |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 36°13'22"N by 81°5'53"W |
| Area Served: | North Wilkesboro, North Carolina |
| Operator/Owner: | Wilkes County |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 1301 feet (397 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from IKB |
| More Information: | IKB Maps & Info |
Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):
- RAF Fairford was the only TransOceanic Abort Landing site for NASA's Space Shuttle in the UK.
- RAF Fairford is also the home of the Royal International Air Tattoo, an annual air display.
- On 15 September 2009, it was announced that the USAF will withdraw all their uniformed staff from the station by September 2010, after which it will be run on a "care and maintenance" basis.
- The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
- The furthest airport from RAF Fairford (FFD) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,898 miles (19,148 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
- KC-135 and KC-10 tankers deployed to Fairford supported Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986.
- In the early years of the Cold War the British and American governments reached an agreement under which elements of the USAF Strategic Air Command would be based in the UK.
Facts about Wilkes County Airport (IKB):
- In addition to being known as "Wilkes County Airport", another name for IKB is "UKF".
- The furthest airport from Wilkes County Airport (IKB) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,508 miles (18,521 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Wilkes County Airport (IKB) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Wilkes County Airport (IKB) is Hickory Regional Airport (HKY), which is located 37 miles (60 kilometers) SSW of IKB.
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 10.00 miles (16.09 km) ENE | RAF Brize Norton (BZZ) | Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom |     |
| 2 | 15.02 miles (24.17 km) SW | RAF Lyneham (LYE) | Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 3 | 22.77 miles (36.64 km) ENE | Oxford Airport (OXF) | Oxford, England, United Kingdom | |
| 4 | 30.10 miles (48.45 km) E | RAF Benson (BEX) | Benson, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 5 | 36.28 miles (58.38 km) WSW | Bristol Filton Airport (FZO) | Filton, Bristol, United Kingdom | |
| 6 | 42.33 miles (68.12 km) E | RAF High Wycombe (HYC) | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 7 | 44.98 miles (72.38 km) WSW | Bristol Airport (BRS) | Bristol, England, United Kingdom | |
| 8 | 47.23 miles (76.02 km) SE | Lasham Airfield (QLA) | Lasham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 9 | 47.50 miles (76.44 km) ESE | Blackbushe Airport (BBS) | Yateley, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| 10 | 47.84 miles (76.99 km) SE | RAF Odiham (ODH) | Odiham, United Kingdom | |
| 11 | 49.48 miles (79.64 km) NNE | Coventry Airport (CVT) | Coventry, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom | |
| 12 | 50.42 miles (81.15 km) ENE | Milton Keynes Airport (KYN) | Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom | |
| 13 | 51.85 miles (83.45 km) ESE | Farnborough Airport (FAB) | Farnborough, United Kingdom | |
| 14 | 53.35 miles (85.85 km) N | Birmingham Airport (BHX) | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom | |
| 15 | 53.92 miles (86.78 km) SSE | Southampton Airport (SOU) | Eastleigh (near Southampton), England, United Kingdom | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,897.99 miles (19,147.91 km) SE | Dunedin International Airport (DUD) | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | |
| 2 | 11,874.86 miles (19,110.69 km) ESE | Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) | Stewart Island, New Zealand | |
| 3 | 11,869.65 miles (19,102.31 km) SE | Oamaru Airport (OAM) | Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand | |
| 4 | 11,860.18 miles (19,087.07 km) SE | Invercargill Airport (IVC) | Invercargill, New Zealand | |
| 5 | 11,839.51 miles (19,053.79 km) SSW | Chatham Islands (CHT) | Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand | |
| 6 | 11,834.41 miles (19,045.60 km) SE | Alexandra Aerodrome (ALR) | Alexandra, New Zealand | |
| 7 | 11,833.87 miles (19,044.72 km) SE | Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU) | Timaru, New Zealand | |
| 8 | 11,822.95 miles (19,027.15 km) SSE | Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) | Ashburton, New Zealand | |
| 9 | 11,812.41 miles (19,010.18 km) SSE | Christchurch International Airport (CHC) | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| 10 | 11,804.61 miles (18,997.63 km) SE | Queenstown Airport (ZQN) | Queenstown, New Zealand | |
| 11 | 11,803.98 miles (18,996.62 km) SE | Wanaka Airport (WKA) | Wanaka, New Zealand | |
| 12 | 11,782.42 miles (18,961.92 km) SE | Glentanner Aerodrome (GTN) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 13 | 11,774.40 miles (18,949.02 km) SE | Mount Cook Airport (MON) | Mount Cook, New Zealand | |
| 14 | 11,761.76 miles (18,928.67 km) SSE | Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) | Kaikoura, New Zealand | |
| 15 | 11,760.44 miles (18,926.54 km) SE | Milford Sound Airport (MFN) | Milford Sound, New Zealand | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 37.05 miles (59.62 km) SSW | Hickory Regional Airport (HKY) | Hickory, North Carolina, United States | |
| 2 | 39.94 miles (64.28 km) SW | Foothills Regional Airport (MRN) | Morganton, North Carolina, United States | |
| 3 | 49.26 miles (79.28 km) E | Smith Reynolds Airport (INT) | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States | |
| 4 | 51.33 miles (82.61 km) SE | Rowan County Airport (SRW) | Salisbury, North Carolina, United States | |
| 5 | 61.06 miles (98.26 km) WNW | Virginia Highlands Airport (VJI) | Abingdon, Virginia, United States | |
| 6 | 61.68 miles (99.26 km) SSE | Concord Regional Airport (USA) | Concord, North Carolina, United States | |
| 7 | 65.34 miles (105.16 km) E | Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) | Greensboro, North Carolina, United States | |
| 8 | 67.33 miles (108.35 km) NNE | New River Valley Airport (PSK) | Dublin, Virginia, United States | |
| 9 | 70.25 miles (113.06 km) S | Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | |
| 10 | 73.73 miles (118.66 km) SSE | Wilgrove Air Park (QWG) | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | |
| 11 | 74.39 miles (119.72 km) N | Mercer County Airport (BLF) | Bluefield, West Virginia, United States | |
| 12 | 74.91 miles (120.56 km) WNW | Tri-Cities Regional Airport (TRI) | Blountville, Tennessee (Tri-Cities area), United States | |
| 13 | 78.07 miles (125.64 km) NNE | Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport (BCB) | Blacksburg, Virginia, United States | |
| 14 | 95.38 miles (153.50 km) NW | Lonesome Pine Airport (LNP) | Wise, Virginia, United States | |
| 15 | 95.73 miles (154.05 km) W | Greeneville-Greene County Municipal Airport (GCY) | Greeneville, Tennessee, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,508.41 miles (18,520.95 km) W | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 2 | 11,487.45 miles (18,487.21 km) W | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 3 | 11,466.28 miles (18,453.15 km) W | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 4 | 11,456.02 miles (18,436.64 km) W | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 5 | 11,442.96 miles (18,415.62 km) WSW | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 6 | 11,426.62 miles (18,389.31 km) WSW | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 11,419.61 miles (18,378.04 km) WSW | Jurien Bay Airport (JUR) | Jurien Bay, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 11,417.99 miles (18,375.43 km) WSW | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 11,384.54 miles (18,321.59 km) WSW | Geraldton Airport (GET) | Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 11,372.39 miles (18,302.04 km) W | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 11,362.82 miles (18,286.65 km) WSW | Kalbarri Airport (KAX) | Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 11,362.43 miles (18,286.02 km) W | Katanning Airport (KNI) | Katanning, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 11,331.81 miles (18,236.73 km) WSW | Morawa Airport (MWB) | Morawa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 14 | 11,331.23 miles (18,235.80 km) WSW | Mullewa Airport (MXU) | Mullewa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 11,315.00 miles (18,209.68 km) SW | Shark Bay Airport (MJK) | Monkey Mia, Western Australia, Australia | |