Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Lockhart River, Queensland, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Lockhart River Airport (IRG), Lockhart River, Queensland, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,122 miles (or 14,681 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 Lockhart River 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 Lockhart River Airport. 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 RAF Fairford (FFD):

• The closest airport to RAF Fairford (FFD) is RAF Brize Norton (BZZ), which is located only 10 miles (16 kilometers) ENE of FFD.
• The 422nd ABG at RAF Croughton and the 420th Air Base Squadron are responsible for the day-to-day operations of RAF Fairford, ensuring that it has adequate resources.
• Due to the deteriorating airfield facilities and its unique NATO heavy bomber mission, RAF Fairford underwent a $100 million upgrade of its runway and fuel systems in the largest NATO funded airfield construction project within a NATO country since the end of the Cold War.
• 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.
• 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.
• On 12 May 2005, USAFE activated the 501st Combat Support Wing, with headquarters at RAF Alconbury, to provide support to its GSUs in the United Kingdom.
• Operations staff and maintenance personnel were permanently assigned, but aircraft, aircrews and crew chiefs were temporarily assigned to the 11th Strategic Group for the European Tanker Task Force on rotation.

Facts about Lockhart River Airport (IRG):

• Lockhart River Airport is an airport in Lockhart River, Queensland, Australia, located approximately 800 km north of Cairns on the eastern coast of Cape York Peninsula.
• Because of Lockhart River Airport's relatively low elevation of 77 feet, planes can take off or land at Lockhart River 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 Lockhart River Airport (IRG) is Cesária Évora International Airport (VXE), which is located 11,611 miles (18,686 kilometers) away in São Vicente, Cape Verde.
• The closest airport to Lockhart River Airport (IRG) is Coen Airport (CUQ), which is located 69 miles (110 kilometers) S of IRG.
• Lockhart River Airport (IRG) currently has only 1 runway.
• On 7 May 2005 a Fairchild Metroliner aircraft crashed 6 nautical miles north-west of Lockhart River Airport, killing all 15 people on board.