Nonstop flight route between Atyrau, Kazakhstan and Wallops Island, Virginia, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Atyrau International Airport (GUW), Atyrau, Kazakhstan and Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL), Wallops Island, Virginia, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,720 miles (or 9,206 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 Atyrau International Airport and Wallops Flight Facility 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 Atyrau International Airport and Wallops Flight Facility 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 Atyrau International Airport (GUW):

• Because of Atyrau International Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Atyrau International 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.
• It is the lowest commercial airport in the world at 22 m below sea level.
• ATMA obtained the operational rights of ATMA Atyrau Airport when the airport was privatized as a build and operate model in 1994.
• The furthest airport from Atyrau International Airport (GUW) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 10,735 miles (17,276 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• In addition to being known as "Atyrau International Airport", other names for GUW include "Атырау халықаралық әуежайы" and "Международный аэропорт Атырау".
• The closest airport to Atyrau International Airport (GUW) is Narimanovo Airport (ASF), which is located 190 miles (305 kilometers) WSW of GUW.
• Atyrau International Airport (GUW) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL):

• Since 2001, engineers at NASA Wallops Flight Facility have been developing new range technologies, systems and approaches to improve the cost and responsiveness of launch and flight test activities, within the constraints of available funding and program schedules.
• Because of Wallops Flight Facility Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Wallops Flight Facility 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.
• AFSS is a project to develop an autonomous on-board system that could augment or replace traditional ground-commanded Range Safety flight termination systems.
• The closest airport to Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL) is Accomack County Airport (MFV), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) SW of WAL.
• The WFF Main Base is located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia on the Delmarva Peninsula about 5 miles west of Chincoteague, Virginia.
• In 1945, NASA's predecessor agency, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, established a rocket launch site on Wallops Island under the direction of the Langley Research Center.
• The WFF mobile range assets have been used to support rocket launches from locations in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, South America, Africa, Europe, Australia, and at sea.
• The furthest airport from Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,785 miles (18,965 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.