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):

• The closest airport to Totegegie Airport (GMR) is Tureira Airport (ZTA), which is located 285 miles (458 kilometers) WNW of GMR.
• Totegegie Airport (GMR) currently has only 1 runway.
• This shrub, Pemphis acidula, is widespread on Polynesian atolls and is best known as the miki miki.
• Mangareva is crucial in its role as the outside world's link to the more famous Pitcairn Island.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Edwards Air Force Base (EDW):

• As with virtually all of the test programs conducted during the war years, most of the actual flight test work on the P-59 was conducted by the contractor.
• 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.
• Jurisdiction of Edwards AFB was transferred from Air Materiel Command on 2 April 1951 to the newly created Air Research and Development Command.
• 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 base is next to Rogers Dry Lake, an endorheic desert salt pan whose hard dry lake surface provides a natural extension to Edwards' runways.
• In July 1942, Muroc Army Airfield became a separate airfield from March Field and was placed under the jurisdiction of Fourth Air Force.