Nonstop flight route between Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, United States and Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Kincheloe Air Force Base (INR), Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, United States and Erbil International Airport (EBL), Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,900 miles (or 9,495 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 Kincheloe Air Force Base and Erbil International 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 Kincheloe Air Force Base and Erbil International 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 Kincheloe Air Force Base (INR):

• The importance of Kincheloe AFB to ADC was evident in 1960 with some major changes.
• With the outbreak of the Cold War in 1948 and active combat in the Korean War in June, 1950, the United States began building up its defenses.
• In October, 1952, the 4685th Air Base Squadron was assigned to the reactivated Kinross AFB.
• The closest airport to Kincheloe Air Force Base (INR) is Chippewa County International Airport (CIU), which is located only 0 mile (0 kilometer) N of INR.
• The furthest airport from Kincheloe Air Force Base (INR) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,103 miles (17,869 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• In September 1959, Kinross AFB was officially renamed Kincheloe Air Force Base in honor of the late Captain Iven Kincheloe, a native of Cassopolis in southwestern Michigan.
• Kinross was considered a vital Air Defense Command base, an alert-status military base equipped with interceptors ready 24/7 to respond to unknown aircraft picked up by Ground Control Radar stations in the Great Lakes region.
• On 2 February 1959, Strategic Air Command established the 4239th Strategic Wing at Kincheloe AFB, Michigan as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike.
• In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its MAJCOM 4-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate AFCON units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.

Facts about Erbil International Airport (EBL):

• Erbil International Airport (EBL) has 2 runways.
• The old airport of Erbil covered 7,000 m2, and was divided into departure and arrival halls.
• The closest airport to Erbil International Airport (EBL) is Sulaimaniyah International Airport (ISU), which is located 89 miles (143 kilometers) ESE of EBL.
• In addition to being known as "Erbil International Airport", other names for EBL include "Firokaxaney Nêwdewletî Hewlêr" and "فڕۆکه‌خانه‌ی نێوده‌وڵه‌تی هه‌ولێر".
• The furthest airport from Erbil International Airport (EBL) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,525 miles (18,548 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• At a cost of $US550 million, constructed by a Turkish company, the new airport and terminal building opened on 3 March 2010.