Nonstop flight route between Wichita, Kansas, United States and Bluefields, Nicaragua:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from IAB to BEF:
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- About this route
- IAB Airport Information
- BEF Airport Information
- Facts about IAB
- Facts about BEF
- Map of Nearest Airports to IAB
- List of Nearest Airports to IAB
- Map of Furthest Airports from IAB
- List of Furthest Airports from IAB
- Map of Nearest Airports to BEF
- List of Nearest Airports to BEF
- Map of Furthest Airports from BEF
- List of Furthest Airports from BEF
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB), Wichita, Kansas, United States and Bluefields Airport (BEF), Bluefields, Nicaragua would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,958 miles (or 3,150 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 McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield and Bluefields Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | IAB / KIAB |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Wichita, Kansas, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 37°37'23"N by 97°16'1"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from IAB |
| More Information: | IAB Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | BEF / MNBL |
| Airport Name: | Bluefields Airport |
| Location: | Bluefields, Nicaragua |
| GPS Coordinates: | 11°59'26"N by 83°46'27"W |
| Area Served: | Bluefields |
| Operator/Owner: | EAAI |
| Airport Type: | Military/Public |
| Elevation: | 41 feet (12 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 1 |
| View all routes: | Routes from BEF |
| More Information: | BEF Maps & Info |
Facts about McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB):
- McConnell's primary mission is to provide global reach by conducting air refueling and airlift where and when needed.
- McConnell's history began in October 1924, when the city of Wichita hosted more than 100,000 people for the National Air Congress.
- The closest airport to McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB) is Cessna Aircraft Field (CEA), which is located only 2 miles (3 kilometers) NNE of IAB.
- Air Training Command was host at the base from 1951 through 1958, training B-47 aircrews.
- In February 1965, when the 23 TFW deployed three squadrons to Southeast Asia for combat, these units were initially under the control of the 2d Air Division.
- Other facilities at the airport, however, were meager.
- The furthest airport from McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,740 miles (17,285 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- In addition to being known as "McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield", another name for IAB is "McConnell AFB".
- By 1952 the Air Force had decided to make a permanent base of the quondam municipal airport.
- The Boeing B-47 Stratojet was the first swept-winged jet bomber built in quantity for any air force, and was the mainstay of the medium-bombing strength of the Strategic Air Command all throughout the 1950s.
Facts about Bluefields Airport (BEF):
- The furthest airport from Bluefields Airport (BEF) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Bluefields Airport (meaning Bluefields Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,394 miles (19,946 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
- Bluefields Airport (BEF) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Bluefields Airport's relatively low elevation of 41 feet, planes can take off or land at Bluefields 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 closest airport to Bluefields Airport (BEF) is Corn Island International Airport (RNI), which is located 50 miles (80 kilometers) ENE of BEF.
