Nonstop flight route between Araxos / Patras, Greece and Wichita Falls, Texas, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from GPA to SPS:
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- About this route
- GPA Airport Information
- SPS Airport Information
- Facts about GPA
- Facts about SPS
- Map of Nearest Airports to GPA
- List of Nearest Airports to GPA
- Map of Furthest Airports from GPA
- List of Furthest Airports from GPA
- Map of Nearest Airports to SPS
- List of Nearest Airports to SPS
- Map of Furthest Airports from SPS
- List of Furthest Airports from SPS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Araxos Airport (GPA), Araxos / Patras, Greece and Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,139 miles (or 9,879 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 Araxos Airport and Sheppard 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 Araxos Airport and Sheppard Air Force Base. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | GPA / LGRX |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Araxos / Patras, Greece |
| GPS Coordinates: | 38°9'3"N by 21°25'32"E |
| Area Served: | Patras & Pyrgos, Greece |
| Operator/Owner: | Greek Armed Forces |
| Airport Type: | Military / Civilian |
| Elevation: | 46 feet (14 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from GPA |
| More Information: | GPA Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SPS / KSPS |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Wichita Falls, Texas, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 33°59'20"N by 98°29'30"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from SPS |
| More Information: | SPS Maps & Info |
Facts about Araxos Airport (GPA):
- Information for Araxos Airport
- The airport has served as the home base of the Hellenic Air Force's 116th Combat Wing since May 1969, and of its precursor the 116th Combat Group since April 1962.
- It is also known as Araxos National Airport.
- The furthest airport from Araxos Airport (GPA) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,428 miles (18,392 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
- The closest airport to Araxos Airport (GPA) is Agrinio Airport (AGQ), which is located 31 miles (51 kilometers) N of GPA.
- Araxos Airport (GPA) currently has only 1 runway.
- In addition to being known as "Araxos Airport", another name for GPA is "Αεροδρόμιο Αράξου".
- Because of Araxos Airport's relatively low elevation of 46 feet, planes can take off or land at Araxos 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.
- Araxos was established as a military airport in 1936, but was construction of the runway not completed until 1941, when it also became the site of the first radar installation in Greece.
Facts about Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS):
- Sheppard Air Force Base is named in honor of Senator John Morris Sheppard of Texas, chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee from 1933 until his death on 9 April 1941.
- In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
- The aircraft mechanics school was transferred to Sheppard from Keesler AFB, Mississippi in April 1949 to make room for expansion of electronic training at that base.
- The 3630th Flying Training Wing was activated in 1965, and it assumed the helicopter training program.
- Sheppard AFB began providing top-notch instruction in a diverse array of Air Force specialties during World War II.
- The closest airport to Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Kickapoo Downtown Airport (KIP), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) S of SPS.
- The furthest airport from Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,952 miles (17,626 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- As of September 2013, Brigadier General Scott Kindsvater is the commander of the 82d Training Wing, and he concurrently serves as the installation commander of Sheppard AFB.
