Nonstop flight route between West Lafayette, Indiana, United States and Spencer, Iowa, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from LAF to SPW:
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- About this route
- LAF Airport Information
- SPW Airport Information
- Facts about LAF
- Facts about SPW
- Map of Nearest Airports to LAF
- List of Nearest Airports to LAF
- Map of Furthest Airports from LAF
- List of Furthest Airports from LAF
- Map of Nearest Airports to SPW
- List of Nearest Airports to SPW
- Map of Furthest Airports from SPW
- List of Furthest Airports from SPW
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Purdue University Airport (LAF), West Lafayette, Indiana, United States and Spencer Municipal Airport (SPW), Spencer, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 466 miles (or 750 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 Purdue University Airport and Spencer Municipal Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | LAF / KLAF |
Airport Name: | Purdue University Airport |
Location: | West Lafayette, Indiana, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 40°24'43"N by 86°56'12"W |
Area Served: | Lafayette, Indiana |
Operator/Owner: | Purdue University |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 606 feet (185 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from LAF |
More Information: | LAF Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SPW / KSPW |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Spencer, Iowa, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 43°9'56"N by 95°12'10"W |
Area Served: | Spencer, Iowa |
Operator/Owner: | City of Spencer |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 1339 feet (408 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from SPW |
More Information: | SPW Maps & Info |
Facts about Purdue University Airport (LAF):
- Because of Purdue University Airport's relatively low elevation of 606 feet, planes can take off or land at Purdue University 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 original hangar, now referred to as the Niswonger Hall of Aviation Technology, still stands and is used by Purdue University's department of Aviation Technology for offices, classrooms, and laboratories.
- President Ronald Reagan and Air Force One visited Purdue University Airport on April 9, 1987.
- Purdue University Airport has an FAA-staffed air traffic control tower and is the second busiest tower in Indiana.
- The closest airport to Purdue University Airport (LAF) is Kentland Municipal Airport (KKT), which is located 35 miles (57 kilometers) NW of LAF.
- Purdue University Airport (LAF) has 2 runways.
- FedEx donated a 727 to Purdue, which is taxied through the airport every once in a while.
- The furthest airport from Purdue University Airport (LAF) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,148 miles (17,941 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Purdue University Airport also had its own airline, Purdue Airlines in the 1960s and 1970s.
Facts about Spencer Municipal Airport (SPW):
- The furthest airport from Spencer Municipal Airport (SPW) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,691 miles (17,206 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- The closest airport to Spencer Municipal Airport (SPW) is Jackson Municipal Airport (MJQ), which is located 35 miles (57 kilometers) NNE of SPW.
- Opened in March, 1942.
- Spencer Municipal Airport (SPW) has 2 runways.
- In addition to being known as "Spencer Municipal Airport", another name for SPW is "Northwest Iowa Regional AirportSpencer Army Airfield".