Nonstop flight route between West Lafayette, Indiana, United States and Knob Noster, Missouri, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from LAF to SZL:
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- About this route
- LAF Airport Information
- SZL Airport Information
- Facts about LAF
- Facts about SZL
- 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 SZL
- List of Nearest Airports to SZL
- Map of Furthest Airports from SZL
- List of Furthest Airports from SZL
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Purdue University Airport (LAF), West Lafayette, Indiana, United States and Whiteman Air Force Base (SZL), Knob Noster, Missouri, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 371 miles (or 597 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 Whiteman Air Force Base, 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: | SZL / KSZL |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Knob Noster, Missouri, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 38°43'49"N by 93°32'53"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from SZL |
| More Information: | SZL Maps & Info |
Facts about Purdue University Airport (LAF):
- FedEx donated a 727 to Purdue, which is taxied through the airport every once in a while.
- 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.
- Purdue University Airport also had its own airline, Purdue Airlines in the 1960s and 1970s.
- 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.
- Evergreen International maintained a short-lived cargo operation at the Airport in the late 1970s using Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop aircraft.
- 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.
- Runway 23 has a displaced threshold, which shortens the runway to 3,913 ft for landing operations.
- Purdue University Airport (LAF) has 2 runways.
- The closest airport to Purdue University Airport (LAF) is Kentland Municipal Airport (KKT), which is located 35 miles (57 kilometers) NW of LAF.
Facts about Whiteman Air Force Base (SZL):
- After the mission change in 1963, life on Whiteman remained relatively stable throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
- The furthest airport from Whiteman Air Force Base (SZL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,815 miles (17,405 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- The 476th Fighter Group, stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, is an Air Force Reserve Command unit linked to the 23rd Fighter Group at Moody.
- In addition to being known as "Whiteman Air Force Base", another name for SZL is "Whiteman AFB".
- The closest airport to Whiteman Air Force Base (SZL) is Sedalia Regional Airport (DMO), which is located 20 miles (32 kilometers) E of SZL.
- In May 1942, construction workers descended upon an area known to locals as the "Blue Flats" because of the color of the soil and began building a railroad spur for the new air base.
- Whiteman AFB was established in 1942 as Sedalia Glider Base.
