Nonstop flight route between Gainesville, Georgia, United States and Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from GVL to AWK:
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- About this route
- GVL Airport Information
- AWK Airport Information
- Facts about GVL
- Facts about AWK
- Map of Nearest Airports to GVL
- List of Nearest Airports to GVL
- Map of Furthest Airports from GVL
- List of Furthest Airports from GVL
- Map of Nearest Airports to AWK
- List of Nearest Airports to AWK
- Map of Furthest Airports from AWK
- List of Furthest Airports from AWK
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport (GVL), Gainesville, Georgia, United States and Wake Island Airfield (AWK), Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,515 miles (or 10,485 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 Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport and Wake Island Airfield, 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 Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport and Wake Island Airfield. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | GVL / KGVL |
Airport Name: | Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport |
Location: | Gainesville, Georgia, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 34°16'21"N by 83°49'49"W |
Area Served: | Gainesville, Georgia |
Operator/Owner: | City of Gainesville |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 1276 feet (389 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from GVL |
More Information: | GVL Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | AWK / PWAK |
Airport Name: | Wake Island Airfield |
Location: | Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands |
GPS Coordinates: | 19°16'56"N by 166°38'12"E |
Operator/Owner: | U.S. Air Force |
Airport Type: | Military |
Elevation: | 23 feet (7 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from AWK |
More Information: | AWK Maps & Info |
Facts about Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport (GVL):
- The closest airport to Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport (GVL) is Barrow County Airport (WDR), which is located 22 miles (36 kilometers) SSE of GVL.
- Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport (GVL) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport (GVL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,355 miles (18,274 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
Facts about Wake Island Airfield (AWK):
- The first intention to build an air base surfaced in 1935, when Pan American World Airways selected Wake Island as an intermediate support base for their routes to the Far East, especially the Philippines.
- From 1935 until 1940, when two typhoons swept Wake with resultant extensive damage to the now elaborately developed Pan American facilities, development and use of the base were steady but uneventful.
- Because of Wake Island Airfield's relatively low elevation of 23 feet, planes can take off or land at Wake Island Airfield 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.
- After pioneering air service into Wake Island in 1935, Pan American World Airways continued to serve the airfield for many years.
- Wake Island Airfield (AWK) currently has only 1 runway.
- The closest airport to Wake Island Airfield (AWK) is Quoin Hill Airfield (UIQ), which is located 169 miles (272 kilometers) SE of AWK.
- On 31 August 2006, the super typhoon Ioke struck Wake Island.
- The furthest airport from Wake Island Airfield (AWK) is RAF Ascension (ASI), which is located 11,652 miles (18,752 kilometers) away in Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena.