Nonstop flight route between Gillette, Wyoming, United States and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC), Gillette, Wyoming, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,963 miles (or 11,206 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 Gillette–Campbell County Airport and Buka Island 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 Gillette–Campbell County Airport and Buka Island 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 Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC):

• The furthest airport from Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,622 miles (17,094 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) has 2 runways.
• Gillette–Campbell County Airport is five miles northwest of Gillette in Campbell County, Wyoming.
• The closest airport to Gillette–Campbell County Airport (GCC) is Sheridan County Airport (SHR), which is located 77 miles (123 kilometers) WNW of GCC.
• Because of Gillette–Campbell County Airport's high elevation of 4,364 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at GCC. Combined with a high temperature, this could make GCC a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The airport covers 759 acres at an elevation of 4,364 feet.

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• On 26 July, an Imperial Japanese Navy special detachment was sent to inspect Buka Airfield, but considered it unacceptable as a prospect for a speedily constructed major airfield.
• There is one navigational aid, the Buka NDB situated on nearby Sohano Island.
• It is located at the southern end of the island, near Buka Passage behind the town of Buka, and pre-war Chinatown.
• The furthest airport from Buka Island Airport (BUA) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,781 miles (18,959 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
• Today the airport is the primary air portal into Bougainville, and even 60 years after the war, wreckage from the military use of the airfield by the Japanese and Americans is easily found in the area.
• Because of Buka Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Buka Island 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 closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• On 13 May 1943 Allied reconnaissance observed 36 fighters and 6 bombers at the airstrip.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.