Nonstop flight route between Forres, Scotland, United Kingdom and Rabaul, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Kinloss Barracks (FSS), Forres, Scotland, United Kingdom and Rabaul Airport (RAB), Rabaul, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,529 miles (or 13,726 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 Kinloss Barracks and Rabaul 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 Kinloss Barracks and Rabaul 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 Kinloss Barracks (FSS):

• 19 OTU was split into 236 Operational Conversion Unit and the School of Maritime Reconnaissance in 1947 with 236 remaining at Kinloss.
• Numbers 120 and 201 squadrons, plus 42 squadron, formerly equipped with the Nimrod MR2, were disbanded on 26 May 2011 following the cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4 programme.
• Construction work began in the spring of 1938 to establish RAF Kinloss as a pilot training school.
• In November 2011 the Ministry of Defence and 12 Engineer Group announced that 930 Service personnel from 39 Engineer Regiment will move from Waterbeach Barracks, near Cambridge, to Kinloss in summer 2012.
• Because of Kinloss Barracks's relatively low elevation of 22 feet, planes can take off or land at Kinloss Barracks 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.
• On 26 July 2012 at 1200 the RAF Ensign was lowered for the last time, and replaced by the flag of 39 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, to become Kinloss Barracks.
• The furthest airport from Kinloss Barracks (FSS) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,616 miles (18,694 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
• Kinloss Barracks (FSS) currently has only 1 runway.
• In April 2005, 206 Squadron was disbanded as part of a Defence review the previous year.
• The closest airport to Kinloss Barracks (FSS) is RAF Lossiemouth (LMO), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) ENE of FSS.

Facts about Rabaul Airport (RAB):

• The closest airport to Rabaul Airport (RAB) is Namatanai Airport (ATN), which is located 47 miles (75 kilometers) N of RAB.
• Prior to the 1994 volcanic eruption that destroyed the town of Rabaul, the airport was located at the foot of Tavurvur volcano, near Matupit island.
• In addition to being known as "Rabaul Airport", another name for RAB is "Tokua Airport".
• Because of Rabaul Airport's relatively low elevation of 32 feet, planes can take off or land at Rabaul 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 Rabaul Airport (RAB) is Governador Carlos Wilson Airport (FEN), which is located 11,780 miles (18,959 kilometers) away in Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil.
• Rabaul Airport (RAB) currently has only 1 runway.