Nonstop flight route between Kuruman, South Africa and Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Johan Pienaar Airport (KMH), Kuruman, South Africa and Biggs Army Airfield (BIF), Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,433 miles (or 15,181 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 Johan Pienaar Airport and Biggs Army Airfield, 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 Johan Pienaar Airport and Biggs Army Airfield. 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 Johan Pienaar Airport (KMH):

• Because of Johan Pienaar Airport's high elevation of 4,382 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at KMH. Combined with a high temperature, this could make KMH a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• The closest airport to Johan Pienaar Airport (KMH) is Kimberley Airport (KIM), which is located 124 miles (200 kilometers) SE of KMH.
• The furthest airport from Johan Pienaar Airport (KMH) is Princeville Airport (HPV), which is nearly antipodal to Johan Pienaar Airport (meaning Johan Pienaar Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Princeville Airport), and is located 12,032 miles (19,364 kilometers) away in Hanalei, Hawaii, United States.
• Johan Pienaar Airport (KMH) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Biggs Army Airfield (BIF):

• By 1966, the introduction of the Titan and Atlas Intercontinental Strategic Ballistic Missiles into the US Strategic Inventory lessened the need for intercontinental strategic bombers.
• The closest airport to Biggs Army Airfield (BIF) is El Paso International Airport (ELP), which is located only 3 miles (5 kilometers) S of BIF.
• On 27 September 1947, Biggs Army Airfield became Biggs Air Force Base with the establishment of the United States Air Force, replacing the Army Air Forces.
• In 1920 Camp Owen Bierne opened on the site of the current airbase as a base for airship operations but the units were soon disbanded.
• In addition to being known as "Biggs Army Airfield", another name for BIF is "Biggs Air Force BaseBiggs Field".
• Biggs Army Airfield (BIF) currently has only 1 runway.
• In April 1943, the 330th Bombardment Group was established at Biggs to begin replacement training of personnel, rather than the training of entire groups.
• The 97th experienced two mission changes in 1955.
• The furthest airport from Biggs Army Airfield (BIF) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,387 miles (18,325 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• What is now Biggs Army Airfield started life in 1915 as an encampment at Fort Bliss, Texas for the 82d Field Artillery.