Nonstop flight route between Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and Big Rapids, Michigan, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Melbourne Airport (MEL), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and Roben-Hood Airport (WBR), Big Rapids, Michigan, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,808 miles (or 15,784 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 Melbourne Airport and Roben-Hood 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 Melbourne Airport and Roben-Hood 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 Melbourne Airport (MEL):

• The closest airport to Melbourne Airport (MEL) is Essendon Airport (MEB), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) SE of MEL.
• Because of Melbourne Airport's relatively low elevation of 434 feet, planes can take off or land at Melbourne 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.
• Expansion of carparks has also continued with a $40 million project commenced in 2004, doubling the size of the short term carpark with the addition of 2,500 spaces over six levels, along with 1,200 new spaces added to the 5,000 already available in the long term carpark.
• In May 1959 it was announced that a new airport would be built at Tullamarine, with Prime Minister Robert Menzies announcing on 27 November 1962 a five-year plan to provide Melbourne with a A$45 million "jetport" by 1967.
• In late 1989, Federal Airports Corporation Inspector A.
• Although described as a satellite terminal, the terminal building is connected by an above-ground corridor to Terminal 2.
• The furthest airport from Melbourne Airport (MEL) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is nearly antipodal to Melbourne Airport (meaning Melbourne Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Flores Airport), and is located 12,187 miles (19,613 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.
• Before the opening of Melbourne Airport, Melbourne's main airport was Essendon Airport which was officially designated an international airport in 1950.
• Melbourne Airport (MEL) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Melbourne Airport", another name for MEL is "Tullamarine Airport".
• The first major upgrades at the airport were carried out at the domestic terminals, with an expansion of the Ansett domestic terminal approved in 1989 and completed in 1991, adding a second pier added for use by smaller regional airlines.
• Melbourne Airport handled 2,998,000 passengers last year.
• The Melbourne–Sydney air route is the third most-travelled passenger air route in the world and the third busiest in the Asia Pacific region.

Facts about Roben-Hood Airport (WBR):

• Because of Roben-Hood Airport's relatively low elevation of 990 feet, planes can take off or land at Roben-Hood 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 closest airport to Roben-Hood Airport (WBR) is Nartron Field (RCT), which is located only 12 miles (20 kilometers) N of WBR.
• On July 2, 1930, it was reported that a landing field had been purchased 2 weeks before due to “efforts by the American Legion”.
• The furthest airport from Roben-Hood Airport (WBR) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,143 miles (17,933 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• In contrast to this decline, a new contingent of aviators became active at the airport, and increased the level of interest in that facility.
• In addition to being known as "Roben-Hood Airport", another name for WBR is "RQB".
• If one looks at the total historical progression of the airport, one is struck with the impression that this airport has gone through a series of up and down cycles that occurred generally because of forces and opportunities that were external to the area, such as grants from State and Federal sources.
• Roben-Hood Airport (WBR) has 2 runways.
• In 1960, the big topic of discussion, spearheaded by Steve Bordano and Lewis Turco, was the possibility of additional hangar construction, to prevent overcrowding and wing-tip damage in the main hangar.