Nonstop flight route between Manihiki Island, Cook Islands and Akrotiri, Cyprus:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Manihiki Island Airport (MHX), Manihiki Island, Cook Islands and RAF Akrotiri (AKT), Akrotiri, Cyprus would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,546 miles (or 16,971 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 Manihiki Island Airport and RAF Akrotiri, 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 Manihiki Island Airport and RAF Akrotiri. 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 Manihiki Island Airport (MHX):

• Because of Manihiki Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Manihiki 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.
• The closest airport to Manihiki Island Airport (MHX) is Fitiuta Airport (FTI), which is located 627 miles (1,009 kilometers) WSW of MHX.
• The furthest airport from Manihiki Island Airport (MHX) is Zakouma Airport (AKM), which is nearly antipodal to Manihiki Island Airport (meaning Manihiki Island Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Zakouma Airport), and is located 12,371 miles (19,909 kilometers) away in Zakouma, Chad.

Facts about RAF Akrotiri (AKT):

• Akrotiri was also the location of the main transmitter of the well known numbers station, the Lincolnshire Poacher, although transmissions ceased in 2008.
• Up until 1974 RAF Akrotiri had a balanced force of aircraft assigned to it, even including No.
• In September 1976 the US U-2 operations were turned over to the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, but the U-2 operation at RAF Akrotiri continued to be called Operating Location OH until September 1980.
• In addition to being known as "RAF Akrotiri", another name for AKT is ""Aki"".
• The station commander is double-hatted and is also the officer commanding the Akrotiri or Western Sovereign Base Area, reporting to the commander of British Forces Cyprus who is also the Administrator.
• The furthest airport from RAF Akrotiri (AKT) is Rurutu Airport (RUR), which is located 11,556 miles (18,598 kilometers) away in Rurutu, French Polynesia.
• The closest airport to RAF Akrotiri (AKT) is Paphos International Airport (PFO), which is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) WNW of AKT.
• The U-2s of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing were used in Operation Cedar Sweep to fly surveillance over Lebanon, relaying information about Hezbollah militants to Lebanese authorities, and in Operation Highland Warrior to fly surveillance over Turkey and northern Iraq to relay information to Turkish authorities.