Nonstop flight route between Hofuf, Saudi Arabia and Wallops Island, Virginia, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF), Hofuf, Saudi Arabia and Wallops Flight Facility Airport (WAL), Wallops Island, Virginia, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,798 miles (or 10,940 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 Al-Ahsa 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 Al-Ahsa 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 Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF):

• Al-Ahsa airport has almost completed the process to acquire the status of international airport.
• In addition to being known as "Al-Ahsa International Airport", another name for HOF is "مطار الأحساء الدولي".
• The furthest airport from Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is nearly antipodal to Al-Ahsa International Airport (meaning Al-Ahsa International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Totegegie Airport), and is located 12,122 miles (19,509 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• The closest airport to Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF) is King Abdulaziz Air Base (DHA), which is located 79 miles (128 kilometers) NNE of HOF.
• Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Al-Ahsa International Airport's relatively low elevation of 588 feet, planes can take off or land at Al-Ahsa 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.

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.
• The first payload launched into orbit from Wallops Island was Explorer IX, atop a Scout rocket, on February 15, 1961.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• On September 6, 2013, the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer was launched from Wallops, atop a Minotaur V rocket.