Nonstop flight route between Grimsby, England, United Kingdom and Springfield/Chicopee, Massachusetts, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Binbrook (GSY), Grimsby, England, United Kingdom and Westover Air Reserve Base (CEF), Springfield/Chicopee, Massachusetts, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,293 miles (or 5,300 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 RAF Binbrook and Westover Air Reserve 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 RAF Binbrook and Westover Air Reserve 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 RAF Binbrook (GSY):

• The station closed as a Main Operating Base in the 1980s, although it continued as a Relief Landing Ground for RAF Scampton into the early 1990s before eventually closing and all military activity ceasing, it was subsequently sold off for development.
• The furthest airport from RAF Binbrook (GSY) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,764 miles (18,933 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• The Control Tower and adjacent Fire Section were demolished in 1995.
• The closest airport to RAF Binbrook (GSY) is Humberside Airport (HUY), which is located only 11 miles (17 kilometers) NNW of GSY.
• On 8 September 1970, Captain William Schaffner, an American exchange pilot flying BAC Lightnings with 5 Squadron, took off from Binbrook in the plane XS894 at 22:06, armed with two Red Top air-to-air missiles.
• RAF Binbrook (GSY) has 3 runways.
• As of 2012 a majority of the accommodation blocks have been demolished.
• From 1965, Binbrook was the home to the English Electric Lightnings of 5 Squadron, joined by the similarly equipped 11 Squadron in 1972.

Facts about Westover Air Reserve Base (CEF):

• The furthest airport from Westover Air Reserve Base (CEF) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,731 miles (18,880 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Current military operations at Westover Air Reserve Base are centered around its exceptionally long runways.
• The closest airport to Westover Air Reserve Base (CEF) is Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport (BAF), which is located only 10 miles (15 kilometers) WSW of CEF.
• In addition to being known as "Westover Air Reserve Base", another name for CEF is "Westover ARB".
• The original airfield at Westover consisted of three runways in the standard "A" pattern to accommodate landings in all directions based on wind direction.
• A second ADC interceptor squadron, the 324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was activated at Westover on 18 October 1955.
• Numerous Airborne Engineer Aviation battalions were activated and trained at Westover, to include the 871st, 872d, 873d, 877th, 878th, 879th, 880th, and 881st.
• During World War II Westover saw the training and formation of Airborne engineer aviation battalions to be used for rapidly establishing airfields in forward areas.
• Physically, Westover is the largest Air Force Reserve base in the United States and will expand significantly over the next decade to further encompass Active and Reserve Component activities of the Navy, Marines, Army, and mainline Air Force functions from installations closed by the Base Realignment and Closure process.
• Due to its location, Westover is transitted by many different aircraft.