Nonstop flight route between Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia and Edwards, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Totegegie Airport (GMR), Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia and Edwards Air Force Base (EDW), Edwards, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,159 miles (or 6,693 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 Totegegie Airport and Edwards Air Force 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 Totegegie Airport and Edwards Air Force 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 Totegegie Airport (GMR):

• This shrub, Pemphis acidula, is widespread on Polynesian atolls and is best known as the miki miki.
• Totegegie Airport (GMR) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Totegegie Airport (GMR) is Tureira Airport (ZTA), which is located 285 miles (458 kilometers) WNW of GMR.
• Because of Totegegie Airport's relatively low elevation of 7 feet, planes can take off or land at Totegegie 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 Totegegie Airport (GMR) is Dawadmi Domestic Airport (DWD), which is nearly antipodal to Totegegie Airport (meaning Totegegie Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Dawadmi Domestic Airport), and is located 12,323 miles (19,833 kilometers) away in Dawadmi, Saudi Arabia.

Facts about Edwards Air Force Base (EDW):

• It is the home of the Air Force Test Center and is the Air Force Materiel Command center of excellence for conducting and supporting research and developmental flight test and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to combat.
• The North Base is located at the north-west corner of Rogers Lake and is the site of the Air Force's most secret test programs at Edwards.
• At this time, another colorful character in Edwards' history, Pancho Barnes, built her renowned Rancho Oro Verde Fly-Inn Dude Ranch that would be the scene of many parties and celebrations to come.
• With the end of the war, Fourth Air Force relinquished command of Muroc Army Airfield on 16 October 1945 and jurisdiction was transferred to Air Technical Service Command, becoming Air Materiel Command in 1946.
• The furthest airport from Edwards Air Force Base (EDW) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,414 miles (18,369 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• The P-59s were tested at Muroc from October 1942 through February 1944 without a single accident and, though the aircraft did not prove to be combat worthy, the successful conduct of its test program, combined with the success of the Lockheed XP-80 program which followed it in early 1944, sealed the future destiny of the remote high desert installation.
• The closest airport to Edwards Air Force Base (EDW) is Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV), which is located only 19 miles (30 kilometers) NW of EDW.
• In July 1942, Muroc Army Airfield became a separate airfield from March Field and was placed under the jurisdiction of Fourth Air Force.
• The initial use for Muroc was IV Bomber Command Operational Unit training.