Nonstop flight route between Wahiawa, Hawaii, United States and Ponce, Puerto Rico:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Wheeler AAF (HHI), Wahiawa, Hawaii, United States and Mercedita Airport (PSE), Ponce, Puerto Rico would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,860 miles (or 9,431 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 Wheeler AAF and Mercedita 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 Wheeler AAF and Mercedita 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 Wheeler AAF (HHI):

• The furthest airport from Wheeler AAF (HHI) is Ghanzi Airport (GNZ), which is nearly antipodal to Wheeler AAF (meaning Wheeler AAF is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Ghanzi Airport), and is located 12,413 miles (19,976 kilometers) away in Ghanzi, Botswana.
• On 24 February 1952, the 1508th Support Squadron was organized to provide administrative and logistical support to activities at Wheeler AFB.
• The closest airport to Wheeler AAF (HHI) is Dillingham Airfield (HDH), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) WNW of HHI.
• Wheeler AAF (HHI) currently has only 1 runway.
• Wheeler Field was the site of several major historic aviation events prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, including the first transpacific flight from California in 1927.
• Wheeler AFB-cum-Wheeler AAF is delineated for statistical purposes as a census-designated place.
• In June 1923, 13 months after the designation of the new flying field, shop hangars, airplane hangars, and oil storage tanks were erected.
• On 1 November 1991, the Army held a simple ceremony to signify their takeover of the base, then changed the sign at the main gate to Wheeler Army Airfield.
• Because of Wheeler AAF's relatively low elevation of 843 feet, planes can take off or land at Wheeler AAF 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.
• Wheeler AAF comprises approximately 1,389 acres of land adjacent to Schofield Barracks and home to a variety of Department of Defense activities including the Defense Information Systems Agency, the 169th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron of the Hawaii Air National Guard, the 193rd Aviation Regiment and Detachment 55 Operational Support Airlift of the Hawaii Army National Guard and the Regular Army's 25th Infantry Division's Combat Aviation Brigade.

Facts about Mercedita Airport (PSE):

• On August 12, 1981, an Air Florida plane with 125 Haitian refugees aboard landed at Mercedita en route to the Fort Allen facility in Juana Diaz, part of the 1981 Haitian refugees exodus.
• The airport is also home of the southern aerial division of the Puerto Rico Police Department.
• The airport has been enlarged on various occasions.
• The closest airport to Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airport (ARE), which is located 31 miles (51 kilometers) NNW of PSE.
• The takeoff/landing strip was then only 850 feet long by 50 feet wide.
• The furthest airport from Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Mercedita Airport (meaning Mercedita Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,201 miles (19,636 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• On July 1, 2011, a Cessna 185 that was supposed to land at Mercedita airport with a family of five on board, registration number N8438Q, crashed while on its way from Culebra.
• In early 2010, members of the Ponce Chamber of Commerce strongly criticized the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and its director Alvaro Pilar Villagran after failure to execute on a legally binding agreement of November 2008, whereby the Ports Authority agreed to an investment of $8 million to build an airport drainage system needed as part of any additional expansion work.
• Because of Mercedita Airport's relatively low elevation of 29 feet, planes can take off or land at Mercedita 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 the fall of 1992, the runway was extended to make it possible for American Airlines to run flights to Miami, Florida.
• Mercedita Airport (PSE) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Mercedita Airport", other names for PSE include "Aeropuerto Mercedita" and "18.00'30"N, 66.33'47"W".