Nonstop flight route between Francistown, Botswana and Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Michigan, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (FRW), Francistown, Botswana and Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO), Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Michigan, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,350 miles (or 13,437 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 Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base and Kalamazoo/Battle Creek 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 Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base and Kalamazoo/Battle Creek 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 Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (FRW):

• However, currently the project is expected to miss its May deadline, after the airport in Gaborone also missed its deadline set date for May 10, 2010, with contractors at both sites struggling to finalise each stage of construction in time.
• In addition to being known as "Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base", another name for FRW is "FBFT [1]".
• In 2011 the airport's ownership of the old terminal was transferred to the Botswana Defence Force and became a military airport, with civilian traffic moved to the new Francistown International Airport terminal to the west of the airport lands.
• The furthest airport from Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (FRW) is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is nearly antipodal to Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (meaning Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Hilo International Airport), and is located 12,246 miles (19,707 kilometers) away in Hilo, Hawaii, United States.
• Phase One of the construction cost P224 million, while Phase three cost P160 million.
• Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (FRW) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Francistown International Airport/Francistown Air Base (FRW) is Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ), which is located 108 miles (174 kilometers) NE of FRW.

Facts about Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO):

• Because of Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport's relatively low elevation of 874 feet, planes can take off or land at Kalamazoo/Battle Creek 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.
• Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO) has 3 runways.
• The Western Michigan University College of Aviation, founded in 1939, used the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport as a base for its flight school until 1997.
• In 1975 the regional air traffic control facility was moved from Battle Creek to Kalamazoo, and in 1978, a radar facility was installed.
• The closest airport to Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO) is W. K. Kellogg Airport (BTL), which is located only 16 miles (26 kilometers) ENE of AZO.
• The facility competes with airports in nearby communities such as South Bend, Grand Rapids and Detroit.
• In 2007 the threshold of runway 17/35 was moved 400 feet to the south, and taxiway B was closed north of taxiway C.
• The furthest airport from Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,180 miles (17,993 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.