Nonstop flight route between Ironwood, Michigan, United States and Minot, North Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Gogebic-Iron County Airport (IWD), Ironwood, Michigan, United States and Minot Air Force Base (MIB), Minot, North Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 540 miles (or 869 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 Gogebic-Iron County Airport and Minot Air Force Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.

Departure Airport Information:

Arrival Airport Information:

Facts about Gogebic-Iron County Airport (IWD):

• As per the Federal Aviation Administration, this airport had 1,524 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 1,092 in 2009, and 944 in 2010.
• The closest airport to Gogebic-Iron County Airport (IWD) is John F. Kennedy Memorial Airport (ASX), which is located 37 miles (60 kilometers) W of IWD.
• Gogebic-Iron County Airport (IWD) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Gogebic-Iron County Airport (IWD) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,857 miles (17,473 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.

Facts about Minot Air Force Base (MIB):

• On 1 June 1992, Air Combat Command was formed, following the inactivation of the Strategic Air Command.
• The scope of operations grew as the Air Force transferred the 525th Bombardment Squadron from the 19th Bombardment Wing at Homestead AFB, Florida, on 8 March 1961, followed by the first B-52H Stratofortress on 10 July 1961, nicknamed "Peace Persuader".
• The furthest airport from Minot Air Force Base (MIB) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,320 miles (16,609 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Renamed Aerospace Defense Command in 1968, ADC F-106 operations continued at Minot until ADC was deactivated in 1979 and became a part of Tactical Air Command as a subentity referred to as Tactical Air Command – Air Defense.
• The 91st Missile Wing of the Global Strike Command is responsible for maintaining the Minuteman III nuclear missiles, located in three main fields to the north, west, and south of the base.
• The closest airport to Minot Air Force Base (MIB) is Minot International Airport (MOT), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) SSE of MIB.
• The 91st Operations Group is the operational backbone of the 91st Missile Wing, with its mission to defend the United States with safe and secure Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles – ready to immediately put bombs on target.
• In addition to being known as "Minot Air Force Base", another name for MIB is "Minot AFB".
• The ADC 32d Fighter Group was the first operational unit at Minot, with its 433d Fighter-Interceptor squadron.
• The 4th Post Attack Command & Control Squadron at Ellsworth AFB, SD maintained several EC-135 "Looking Glass" Aircraft on an alert at MAFB for coverage of the missile squadrons as a secondary Launch Control Center.