Nonstop flight route between Hoedspruit, South Africa and Melbourne, Victoria, Australia:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from HDS to MEB:
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- About this route
- HDS Airport Information
- MEB Airport Information
- Facts about HDS
- Facts about MEB
- Map of Nearest Airports to HDS
- List of Nearest Airports to HDS
- Map of Furthest Airports from HDS
- List of Furthest Airports from HDS
- Map of Nearest Airports to MEB
- List of Nearest Airports to MEB
- Map of Furthest Airports from MEB
- List of Furthest Airports from MEB
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS), Hoedspruit, South Africa and Essendon Airport (MEB), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,373 miles (or 10,256 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 Air Force Base Hoedspruit and Essendon 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 Air Force Base Hoedspruit and Essendon Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | HDS / FAHS |
Airport Name: | Air Force Base Hoedspruit |
Location: | Hoedspruit, South Africa |
GPS Coordinates: | 24°21'16"S by 31°3'1"E |
Operator/Owner: | South African Air Force |
Airport Type: | Military and Civil |
Elevation: | 1742 feet (531 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from HDS |
More Information: | HDS Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | MEB / YMEN |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
GPS Coordinates: | 37°43'41"S by 144°54'6"E |
Area Served: | Melbourne |
Operator/Owner: | Zavanti Holdings Pty. Ltd. |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 282 feet (86 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from MEB |
More Information: | MEB Maps & Info |
Facts about Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS):
- The furthest airport from Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS) is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is located 11,932 miles (19,202 kilometers) away in Hilo, Hawaii, United States.
- Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS) has 2 runways.
- The base was officially opened on 1 July 1978.
- The base motto is Pro Nostrorum Pace.
- The closest airport to Air Force Base Hoedspruit (HDS) is Hendrik Van Eck Airport (PHW), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) NNE of HDS.
Facts about Essendon Airport (MEB):
- The furthest airport from Essendon Airport (MEB) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is nearly antipodal to Essendon Airport (meaning Essendon Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Flores Airport), and is located 12,192 miles (19,620 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.
- In addition to being known as "Essendon Airport", another name for MEB is "Melbourne/Essendon".
- The closest airport to Essendon Airport (MEB) is Melbourne Airport (MEL), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) NW of MEB.
- Essendon Airport is located at Essendon, in Melbourne's northern suburbs, Victoria, Australia.
- Because of Essendon Airport's relatively low elevation of 282 feet, planes can take off or land at Essendon 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.
- In 2001, the Commonwealth Government sold its management rights for the airport to Edgelear Pty.
- Essendon Airport (MEB) has 2 runways.
- Essendon became Australia's second, and Melbourne's first international airport in February 1950.