Nonstop flight route between Wichita, Kansas, United States and Currie, Tasmania, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB), Wichita, Kansas, United States and King Island Airport (KNS), Currie, Tasmania, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,204 miles (or 14,813 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 McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield and King Island 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 McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield and King Island 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 McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB):

• On 11 October 1946, the 4156th AAF Base Unit was ordered to cease operations by the 30th of the month.
• McConnell's primary mission is to provide global reach by conducting air refueling and airlift where and when needed.
• Other facilities at the airport, however, were meager.
• In spite of the difficulty of building an installation and initiating an entirely new program simultaneously, the base developed into a highly specialized training center.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield", another name for IAB is "McConnell AFB".
• 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.
• 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.
• The wing maintained proficiency in tactical fighter operations, and later also functioned as an F-105 replacement training unit and assisted Air National Guard units in their conversion to the F-105 when the Thunderchief left first-line service.
• However, the name was changed to McConnell Air Force Base after less than a year in honor of Wichita brothers Fred and Thomas McConnell, both Air Force pilots and World War II veterans.

Facts about King Island Airport (KNS):

• The closest airport to King Island Airport (KNS) is Smithton Airport (SIO), which is located 92 miles (148 kilometers) SE of KNS.
• Because of King Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 132 feet, planes can take off or land at King Island 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 King Island Airport (KNS) is Corvo Airport (CVU), which is nearly antipodal to King Island Airport (meaning King Island Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Corvo Airport), and is located 12,170 miles (19,586 kilometers) away in Corvo Island, Azores, Portugal.
• King Island Airport (KNS) has 3 runways.