Nonstop flight route between Fairford, England, United Kingdom and Midland/Bay City/Saginaw, Michigan, United States:
Departure Airport:
(51°40'55"N by 1°47'24"W)
Arrival Airport:
(43°31'58"N by 84°4'46"W)
Distance from FFD to MBS:
3,667.45 miles (5,902.17 km)
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- About this route
- FFD Airport Information
- MBS Airport Information
- Facts about FFD
- Facts about MBS
- 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 MBS
- List of Nearest Airports to MBS
- Map of Furthest Airports from MBS
- List of Furthest Airports from MBS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Fairford (FFD), Fairford, England, United Kingdom and MBS International Airport (MBS), Midland/Bay City/Saginaw, Michigan, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,667 miles (or 5,902 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 MBS International 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 MBS International 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: | MBS / KMBS |
| Airport Name: | MBS International Airport |
| Location: | Midland/Bay City/Saginaw, Michigan, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 43°31'58"N by 84°4'46"W |
| Area Served: | Saginaw, Michigan Midland, Michigan Bay City, Michigan |
| Operator/Owner: | Bay County, Michigan, Midland, Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 668 feet (204 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from MBS |
| More Information: | MBS Maps & Info |
Facts about RAF Fairford (FFD):
- In 1950, as a result of the beginning of the Cold War, the airfield was transferred to the U.S.
- On 14 January 2004, the 420th Air Base Group was established at RAF Fairford to improve the control of its geographically separated units that had been aligned beneath the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall.
- 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.
Facts about MBS International Airport (MBS):
- The furthest airport from MBS International Airport (MBS) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,213 miles (18,046 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Because of MBS International Airport's relatively low elevation of 668 feet, planes can take off or land at MBS International 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.
- Compass Airlines, Comair, and Mesaba Airlines ground handling merged into one service called Regional Elite Airline Services.
- The closest airport to MBS International Airport (MBS) is Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport (MOP), which is located 33 miles (54 kilometers) W of MBS.
- The 1980s and 1990s saw a lot of growth at MBS.
- MBS International Airport (MBS) has 2 runways.
| 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 | 33.49 miles (53.90 km) W | Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport (MOP) | Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States | |
| 2 | 33.82 miles (54.42 km) WSW | Gratiot Community Airport (AMN) | Alma, Michigan, United States | |
| 3 | 36.11 miles (58.12 km) NNW | Gladwin Zettel Memorial Airport (GDW) | Gladwin, Michigan, United States | |
| 4 | 42.69 miles (68.70 km) SSE | Bishop International Airport (FNT) | Flint, Michigan, United States | |
| 5 | 58.02 miles (93.38 km) SSW | Capital Region International Airport (LAN) | Lansing, Michigan, United States | |
| 6 | 64.26 miles (103.42 km) NNW | Roscommon County - Blodgett Memorial Airport (HTL) | Houghton Lake, Michigan, United States | |
| 7 | 68.53 miles (110.30 km) SSE | Oakland County International Airport (PTK) | Waterford, Michigan, United States | |
| 8 | 72.06 miles (115.96 km) NNE | Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport (OSC) | Oscoda, Michigan, United States | |
| 9 | 72.44 miles (116.57 km) W | Roben-Hood Airport (WBR) | Big Rapids, Michigan, United States | |
| 10 | 76.11 miles (122.49 km) WNW | Nartron Field (RCT) | Reed City, Michigan, United States | |
| 11 | 84.12 miles (135.38 km) NW | Wexford County Airport (CAD) | Cadillac, Michigan, United States | |
| 12 | 85.50 miles (137.60 km) WSW | Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) | Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States | |
| 13 | 89.12 miles (143.43 km) ESE | St. Clair County International Airport (PHN) | Port Huron, Michigan, United States | |
| 14 | 89.57 miles (144.15 km) SE | Selfridge Air National Guard Base (MTC) | Mount Clemens, Michigan, United States | |
| 15 | 89.99 miles (144.83 km) SSW | Jackson County Airport (JXN) | Jackson, Michigan, United States | |
| Rank | Distance & Direction | Airport Name & IATA Code | Airport Location | Further Actions |
| 1 | 11,213.03 miles (18,045.57 km) WSW | Margaret River Airport (MGV) | Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 2 | 11,189.09 miles (18,007.05 km) WSW | Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) | Busselton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 3 | 11,179.94 miles (17,992.33 km) WSW | Manjimup Airport (MJP) | Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 4 | 11,163.27 miles (17,965.49 km) WSW | Bunbury Airport (BUY) | Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 5 | 11,129.19 miles (17,910.65 km) WSW | Albany Airport (ALH) | Albany, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 6 | 11,107.39 miles (17,875.57 km) WSW | Rottnest Airport (RTS) | Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 7 | 11,096.76 miles (17,858.46 km) WSW | Jandakot Airport (JAD) | Jandakot, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 8 | 11,086.97 miles (17,842.70 km) WSW | Katanning Airport (KNI) | Katanning, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 9 | 11,085.76 miles (17,840.76 km) WSW | Perth Airport (PER) | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 10 | 11,045.55 miles (17,776.04 km) SW | Jurien Bay Airport (JUR) | Jurien Bay, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 11 | 10,982.25 miles (17,674.18 km) SW | Geraldton Airport (GET) | Geraldton, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 12 | 10,950.35 miles (17,622.83 km) SW | Morawa Airport (MWB) | Morawa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 13 | 10,940.52 miles (17,607.01 km) SW | Kalbarri Airport (KAX) | Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 14 | 10,933.31 miles (17,595.41 km) SW | Mullewa Airport (MXU) | Mullewa, Western Australia, Australia | |
| 15 | 10,890.29 miles (17,526.18 km) WSW | Esperance Airport (EPR) | Esperance, Australia | |