Nonstop flight route between Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom and Bluefields, Nicaragua:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between RAF Lyneham (LYE), Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom and Bluefields Airport (BEF), Bluefields, Nicaragua would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,220 miles (or 8,400 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 RAF Lyneham and Bluefields 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 RAF Lyneham and Bluefields 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 RAF Lyneham (LYE):

• 99 Squadron reformed on 17 November 1945, at RAF Lyneham equipped with the Avro York, it operated as part of the Berlin Airlift.
• From 1958 Lyneham became one of the 18 Stations designated as dispersal airfields for the RAF's nuclear deterrent V bomber Force.
• The closest airport to RAF Lyneham (LYE) is RAF Fairford (FFD), which is located only 15 miles (24 kilometers) NE of LYE.
• The furthest airport from RAF Lyneham (LYE) is Dunedin International Airport (DUD), which is located 11,913 miles (19,172 kilometers) away in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
• RAF Lyneham (LYE) has 2 runways.
• Because of RAF Lyneham's relatively low elevation of 512 feet, planes can take off or land at RAF Lyneham 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 airfield became renowned for being the "gateway" between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan.
• The decision to close RAF Lyneham was made in 2002, and it was scheduled for closure by 2012 with all functions and aircraft relocated to RAF Brize Norton.
• In 1956, with the arrival of the de Havilland Comet operated by 216 Squadron, the main runway was extended from 6,000 feet to its present length of 7,830 feet.
• The station closed on 31 December 2012 with the majority of its personnel and other assets having moved to RAF Brize Norton.
• A stone memorial commemorating the RAF's use of the station for over 70 years was unveiled on 1 June 2012.
• With the increase in air transport operations in the RAF, as opposed to ferrying, Transport Command was formed in March 1943.

Facts about Bluefields Airport (BEF):

• Because of Bluefields Airport's relatively low elevation of 41 feet, planes can take off or land at Bluefields 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 furthest airport from Bluefields Airport (BEF) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is nearly antipodal to Bluefields Airport (meaning Bluefields Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport), and is located 12,394 miles (19,946 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
• The closest airport to Bluefields Airport (BEF) is Corn Island International Airport (RNI), which is located 50 miles (80 kilometers) ENE of BEF.
• Bluefields Airport (BEF) currently has only 1 runway.