Nonstop flight route between Grand Island, Nebraska, United States and Wichita, Kansas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI), Grand Island, Nebraska, United States and McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB), Wichita, Kansas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 238 miles (or 383 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 relatively short distance between Central Nebraska Regional Airport and McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI):

• Central Nebraska Regional Airport was selected to be a new Chinook Helicopter Base.
• United Airlines stopped at GRI from the 1930s until Frontier took over in 1959.
• Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,617 miles (17,087 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The closest airport to Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI) is Hastings Municipal Airport (HSI), which is located 26 miles (41 kilometers) SSW of GRI.

Facts about McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB):

• In addition to being known as "McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield", another name for IAB is "McConnell AFB".
• However, the name was changed to McConnell Air Force Base after less than a year in honor of Wichita brothers Fred and Thomas McConnell, both Air Force pilots and World War II veterans.
• The furthest airport from McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,740 miles (17,285 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• On 1 March 1962, Strategic Air Command stood up the 381st Strategic Missile Wing.
• On 6 October 1941, the unit was ordered to extended active duty and remained an integral part of the United States Army Air Corps until 6 October 1945, with duty assignments in Tennessee and Okinawa.
• The closest airport to McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB) is Cessna Aircraft Field (CEA), which is located only 2 miles (3 kilometers) NNE of IAB.
• On 15 November the field was officially transferred to the District Engineer, Seventh Service Command at Omaha, Nebraska who assumed jurisdiction over the field, pending disposition, while the 4156th AAF Base Unit was discontinued on the same day.
• Up to 1 April 1952 the activity at Wichita Municipal Airport was under the jurisdiction of the Flying Training Air Force.
• By 1952 the Air Force had decided to make a permanent base of the quondam municipal airport.
• McConnell's primary mission is to provide global reach by conducting air refueling and airlift where and when needed.