Nonstop flight route between Hamilton, Alabama, United States and Edwards, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Marion County - Rankin Fite Airport (HAB), Hamilton, Alabama, United States and Edwards Air Force Base (EDW), Edwards, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,696 miles (or 2,729 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 Marion County - Rankin Fite Airport and Edwards Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Marion County - Rankin Fite Airport (HAB):

• The closest airport to Marion County - Rankin Fite Airport (HAB) is Columbus Air Force Base (CBM), which is located 42 miles (67 kilometers) SW of HAB.
• Because of Marion County - Rankin Fite Airport's relatively low elevation of 442 feet, planes can take off or land at Marion County - Rankin Fite 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.
• The furthest airport from Marion County - Rankin Fite Airport (HAB) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,117 miles (17,891 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Marion County - Rankin Fite Airport (HAB) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Edwards Air Force Base (EDW):

• The closest airport to Edwards Air Force Base (EDW) is Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV), which is located only 19 miles (30 kilometers) NW of EDW.
• The furthest airport from Edwards Air Force Base (EDW) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,414 miles (18,369 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• Its curriculum focused on the traditional field of performance testing and the relatively new field of stability and control, which had suddenly assumed critical importance with the dramatic increases in speed offered by the new turbojets.
• A water stop on the Southern Pacific Railroad since 1876, the site was largely unsettled until the early 20th century.
• At this time, another colorful character in Edwards' history, Pancho Barnes, built her renowned Rancho Oro Verde Fly-Inn Dude Ranch that would be the scene of many parties and celebrations to come.
• As with virtually all of the test programs conducted during the war years, most of the actual flight test work on the P-59 was conducted by the contractor.
• Aircraft testing continued at this desert "Army Air Base", then on 8 November 1943, the base title was changed to "Muroc Army Air Field, Muroc".
• Notable occurrences at Edwards include Chuck Yeager's flight that broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1, test flights of the North American X-15, the first landings of the Space Shuttle, and the 1986 around-the-world flight of the Rutan Voyager.