Nonstop flight route between Junction City, Kansas, United States and Bonthe, Sierra Leone:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Marshall Army AirfieldMarshall Air Force Base (FRI), Junction City, Kansas, United States and Sherbro International Airport (BTE), Bonthe, Sierra Leone would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,583 miles (or 8,985 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 Marshall Army AirfieldMarshall Air Force Base and Sherbro 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 Marshall Army AirfieldMarshall Air Force Base and Sherbro International 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 Marshall Army AirfieldMarshall Air Force Base (FRI):

• The furthest airport from Marshall Army AirfieldMarshall Air Force Base (FRI) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,654 miles (17,146 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The airdrome from which Arnold made his flights was probably the polo field at Fort Riley.
• Undoubtedly the most dramatic episode of the postwar period at Marshall AFB came early in 1949 when the base contributed its facilities, planes, and helicopters to "Operation Haylift" bringing relief to snowbound areas in several Western states.
• In March 1926, Arnold, then a major, returned as air base commander.
• In addition to being known as "Marshall Army AirfieldMarshall Air Force Base", another name for FRI is "Marshall AAF".
• The closest airport to Marshall Army AirfieldMarshall Air Force Base (FRI) is Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) NE of FRI.
• In 1921, Colonel Fred Herman selected the Smoky Hill Flats across the Kansas River as the location for a new airfield.
• Besides photographic work, observation, and artillery adjustment, its pilots flew air-ground support demonstrations and simulated strafing, bombing and chemical warfare missions.
• When the United States entered World War II Marshall possessed two hangars and three unsurfaced landing strips, the biggest strip being 3,700 feet long.
• Airfield operations and services include Base Flight Operations, Control Tower, and Ground Approach Control Facility, USAF weather, Airport Safety, Air Space Management, Flight Simulator, Rapid Refuel Facility, and Crash/Fire/Rescue station.
• During the war the old strips had to be surfaced and lengthened to take increased traffic and heavier, faster planes.

Facts about Sherbro International Airport (BTE):

• The closest airport to Sherbro International Airport (BTE) is Gbangbatok Airport (GBK), which is located 22 miles (35 kilometers) NNE of BTE.
• Because of Sherbro International Airport's relatively low elevation of 14 feet, planes can take off or land at Sherbro 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.
• Sherbro International Airport (BTE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Sherbro International Airport (BTE) is Ulawa Airport (RNA), which is nearly antipodal to Sherbro International Airport (meaning Sherbro International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Ulawa Airport), and is located 12,028 miles (19,357 kilometers) away in Arona, Ulawa Island, Solomon Islands.