Nonstop flight route between Kars, Turkey and Santa Maria, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Kars Airport (KSY), Kars, Turkey and Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,119 miles (or 11,457 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 Kars Airport and Santa Maria Public 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 Kars Airport and Santa Maria Public 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 Kars Airport (KSY):

• Because of Kars Airport's high elevation of 5,889 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at KSY. Combined with a high temperature, this could make KSY a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• In 2006, Kars Airport served 2,352 aircraft and 270,052 passengers.
• The furthest airport from Kars Airport (KSY) is Totegegie Airport (GMR), which is located 11,224 miles (18,063 kilometers) away in Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
• The closest airport to Kars Airport (KSY) is Shirak International Airport (LWN), which is located 41 miles (66 kilometers) ENE of KSY.
• In addition to being known as "Kars Airport", another name for KSY is "Kars Havaalanı".
• Kars Airport (KSY) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):

• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• The extended primary runway at Santa Maria is paved to 8,004 feet, giving the airport the longest civil runway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on the central coast and Vandenberg AFB's runway are longer).
• The furthest airport from Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,466 miles (18,453 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• The closest airport to Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Vandenberg Air Force Base (VBG), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SSW of SMX.
• After the war Santa Barbara County and the city of Santa Maria acquired the land and facilities through two grants in 1948.
• Because of Santa Maria Public Airport's relatively low elevation of 261 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria Public 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.
• At one point during the early 1980's Swift Aire Lines, which was based at the nearby San Luis Obispo Airport, was the only airline flying nonstop between Santa Maria and Los Angeles, primarily with Fokker F27 Friendship turboprops which the carrier had purchased new from the manufacturer.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• Allegiant Air has expanded flights between Las Vegas and Santa Maria with four nonstops per week each way.