Nonstop flight route between Gunungsitoli, Nias Island, Indonesia and Santa Maria, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Binaka Airport (GNS), Gunungsitoli, Nias Island, Indonesia and Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,932 miles (or 14,375 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 Binaka Airport and Santa Maria Public 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 Binaka Airport and Santa Maria Public 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 Binaka Airport (GNS):

• In addition to being known as "Binaka Airport", another name for GNS is "Bandar Udara Binaka".
• Because of Binaka Airport's relatively low elevation of 20 feet, planes can take off or land at Binaka 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 Binaka Airport (GNS) is Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC), which is nearly antipodal to Binaka Airport (meaning Binaka Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Eloy Alfaro International Airport), and is located 12,324 miles (19,834 kilometers) away in Manta, Manabí, Ecuador.
• The closest airport to Binaka Airport (GNS) is Aek Godang Airport (AEG), which is located 120 miles (194 kilometers) E of GNS.
• Binaka Airport (GNS) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):

• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• Other enhancements include a new passenger terminal holding room that opened February 2008.
• The furthest airport from Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,466 miles (18,453 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• At one point during the early 1980's Swift Aire Lines, which was based at the nearby San Luis Obispo Airport, was the only airline flying nonstop between Santa Maria and Los Angeles, primarily with Fokker F27 Friendship turboprops which the carrier had purchased new from the manufacturer.
• Because of Santa Maria Public Airport's relatively low elevation of 261 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria Public 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 Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Vandenberg Air Force Base (VBG), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SSW of SMX.
• A 4,000-square-foot baggage claim facility opened in 2007.