Nonstop flight route between Louisville, Kentucky, United States and Kaikoura, New Zealand:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from LOU to KBZ:
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- About this route
- LOU Airport Information
- KBZ Airport Information
- Facts about LOU
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- Map of Nearest Airports to LOU
- List of Nearest Airports to LOU
- Map of Furthest Airports from LOU
- List of Furthest Airports from LOU
- Map of Nearest Airports to KBZ
- List of Nearest Airports to KBZ
- Map of Furthest Airports from KBZ
- List of Furthest Airports from KBZ
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Bowman Field (LOU), Louisville, Kentucky, United States and Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ), Kaikoura, New Zealand would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,409 miles (or 13,532 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 Bowman Field and Kaikoura Aerodrome, 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 Bowman Field and Kaikoura Aerodrome. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | LOU / KLOU |
Airport Name: | Bowman Field |
Location: | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 38°13'41"N by 85°39'48"W |
Area Served: | Louisville, Kentucky |
Operator/Owner: | Louisville Regional Airport Authority (LRAA) |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 546 feet (166 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from LOU |
More Information: | LOU Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | KBZ / NZKI |
Airport Name: | Kaikoura Aerodrome |
Location: | Kaikoura, New Zealand |
GPS Coordinates: | 42°25'29"S by 173°36'7"E |
Operator/Owner: | Kaikoura District Council |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 19 feet (6 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from KBZ |
More Information: | KBZ Maps & Info |
Facts about Bowman Field (LOU):
- Because of Bowman Field's relatively low elevation of 546 feet, planes can take off or land at Bowman Field 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.
- During the 1920s and 1930s, Eastern Air Lines, Trans World Airlines and the original Continental Airlines operated passenger and mail service in and out of Bowman Field.
- The dominant landmark of Bowman Field is its terminal, known as the Administration Building, styled in aerodynamic Moderne.
- Kentucky Flying Service is no longer in operation.
- Charles Lindbergh landed the Spirit of St.
- The first business ventures began with the aerial photography business in 1921, and the 465th Pursuit Squadron began operations at Bowman Field in 1922.
- Bowman Field (LOU) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from Bowman Field (LOU) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,243 miles (18,093 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Bowman Field was used in the James Bond film Goldfinger as the base for Pussy Galore's Flying Circus.
- The closest airport to Bowman Field (LOU) is Louisville International Airport (SDF), which is located only 5 miles (9 kilometers) SW of LOU.
- During the Great Depression, Louisvillians would often come to the Art Deco terminal building to watch airplanes depart and land as a form of inexpensive entertainment.
Facts about Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ):
- The closest airport to Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) is Woodbourne Airport (BHE), which is located 64 miles (103 kilometers) NNE of KBZ.
- Because of Kaikoura Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 19 feet, planes can take off or land at Kaikoura Aerodrome 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.
- Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from Kaikoura Aerodrome (KBZ) is León Airport (LEN), which is nearly antipodal to Kaikoura Aerodrome (meaning Kaikoura Aerodrome is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from León Airport), and is located 12,397 miles (19,952 kilometers) away in León, Spain.
- Air Kaikoura is another scenic operator based at the aerodrome since 1983.
- The aerodrome is operated by Kaikoura District Council and is available for general use without the permission of the operator.