Nonstop flight route between Mangaia Island, Cook Islands and Pensacola, Florida, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Mangaia Island Airport (MGS), Mangaia Island, Cook Islands and Naval Air Station PensacolaForrest Sherman Field (NPA), Pensacola, Florida, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,911 miles (or 9,513 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 Mangaia Island Airport and Naval Air Station PensacolaForrest Sherman Field, 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 Mangaia Island Airport and Naval Air Station PensacolaForrest Sherman Field. 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 Mangaia Island Airport (MGS):

• The furthest airport from Mangaia Island Airport (MGS) is Kufra Airport (AKF), which is nearly antipodal to Mangaia Island Airport (meaning Mangaia Island Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Kufra Airport), and is located 12,261 miles (19,732 kilometers) away in Kufra, Libya.
• The closest airport to Mangaia Island Airport (MGS) is Akatoka Manava Airport (Mauke Airport) (MUK), which is located 127 miles (204 kilometers) NNE of MGS.
• Because of Mangaia Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Mangaia Island 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.

Facts about Naval Air Station PensacolaForrest Sherman Field (NPA):

• The Navy Department awakened to the possibilities of naval aviation through the efforts of Captain Washington Irving Chambers.
• Other tenant activities include the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, flying F/A-18 Hornets and a single USMC KC-130F Hercules.
• The air station also hosts the Naval Education and Training Command and the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute, which provides training for all naval flight surgeons, aviation physiologists, and aviation experimental psychologists.
• Pensacola was taken by General Andrew Jackson in November 1814 during the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States.
• The closest airport to Naval Air Station PensacolaForrest Sherman Field (NPA) is NOLF Saufley Field (NUN), which is located only 8 miles (13 kilometers) NNW of NPA.
• Upon the entry of the United States into World War I on 6 April 1917, Pensacola, still the only naval air station, had 38 naval aviators, 163 enlisted men trained in aviation support, and 54 fixed-wing aircraft.
• Naval Air Station PensacolaForrest Sherman Field (NPA) has 3 runways.
• Because of Naval Air Station PensacolaForrest Sherman Field's relatively low elevation of 28 feet, planes can take off or land at Naval Air Station PensacolaForrest Sherman 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.
• In addition to being known as "Naval Air Station PensacolaForrest Sherman Field", another name for NPA is "KNPA - FAA: NPA".
• With World War II having started, NAS Pensacola once again became the hub of air training activities.
• During the 2005 round of Base Realignment and Closure, people in Florida and the Navy feared that NAS Pensacola might be closed, despite its naval hub status, due to extensive damage by Hurricane Ivan in late 2004.
• The furthest airport from Naval Air Station PensacolaForrest Sherman Field (NPA) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,154 miles (17,951 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.