Nonstop flight route between Fukuoka, Japan and Salinas, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fukuoka Airport (FUK), Fukuoka, Japan and Salinas Municipal AirportSalinas Army Air Base (SNS), Salinas, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,724 miles (or 9,213 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 Fukuoka Airport and Salinas Municipal AirportSalinas Army Air Base, 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 Fukuoka Airport and Salinas Municipal AirportSalinas Army Air Base. 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 Fukuoka Airport (FUK):

• The furthest airport from Fukuoka Airport (FUK) is Rio Grande Regional Airport (RIG), which is nearly antipodal to Fukuoka Airport (meaning Fukuoka Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Rio Grande Regional Airport), and is located 12,253 miles (19,719 kilometers) away in Rio Grande, Brazil.
• Fukuoka Airport (FUK) currently has only 1 runway.
• As of July 2013, the Japanese government is considering building a second 2,800 m parallel runway within the existing airfield at a cost of 180 billion yen, two-thirds of which would be borne by the national government and the remaining third of which would be borne by the local government, but which would be defrayed by selling the rights to operate the airport to a private company.
• In addition to being known as "Fukuoka Airport", other names for FUK include "福岡空港" and "Fukuoka KūkōItazuke Air Base".
• The airport was built in 1943 by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force as Mushiroda Airfield.
• The 8th was reassigned back to the United States in July 1964 to George AFB, California where it was equipped with the new F-4C Phantom II and eventually became a major USAF combat wing in Thailand during the Vietnam War.
• Mushiroda was built on farmland that once grew bumper rice crops during 1943.
• The closest airport to Fukuoka Airport (FUK) is Saga Airport (HSG), which is located 31 miles (50 kilometers) SSW of FUK.
• During the Korean War, Itazuke was a major combat airfield for the USAF.
• Because of Fukuoka Airport's relatively low elevation of 30 feet, planes can take off or land at Fukuoka 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.

Facts about Salinas Municipal AirportSalinas Army Air Base (SNS):

• The furthest airport from Salinas Municipal AirportSalinas Army Air Base (SNS) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,387 miles (18,326 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Salinas Municipal AirportSalinas Army Air Base (SNS) has 3 runways.
• In September, the field was transferred to IV Fighter Command, which assigned the 360th Fighter Group as a P-38 Lightning Replacement Training Unit.
• Initially, IV Air Support Command used Salinas as a training base for photo-reconnaissance units.
• The closest airport to Salinas Municipal AirportSalinas Army Air Base (SNS) is Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), which is located only 14 miles (23 kilometers) WSW of SNS.
• Because of Salinas Municipal AirportSalinas Army Air Base's relatively low elevation of 85 feet, planes can take off or land at Salinas Municipal AirportSalinas Army Air Base 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.
• In December 1944 the 481st NFOTG was inactivated as part of an AAF reorganization.