Nonstop flight route between Shafter, California, United States and Uden, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Shafter Airport (MIT), Shafter, California, United States and Volkel Air Base (UDE), Uden, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,555 miles (or 8,940 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 Shafter Airport and Volkel Air Base, 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 Shafter Airport and Volkel Air Base. 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 Shafter Airport (MIT):

• In addition to being known as "Shafter Airport", another name for MIT is "Minter Field".
• Because of Shafter Airport's relatively low elevation of 424 feet, planes can take off or land at Shafter 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.
• In August, the first operational training units s began arriving at Minter, the airfields mission being advanced pilot training of USAAC bomber, attack, transport and pursuit pilots.
• The Gossamer Condor piloted by Bryan Allen won the first Kremer prize on August 23, 1977 by completing a figure '8' course specified by the Royal Aeronautical Society at Minter Field.
• Shafter Airport (MIT) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Shafter Airport (MIT) is Meadows Field (BFL), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) ESE of MIT.
• The furthest airport from Shafter Airport (MIT) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,404 miles (18,353 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• The primary aircraft flown at Minter Field was the Vultee BT-13 Valiant, which was used for basic flight training.

Facts about Volkel Air Base (UDE):

• In addition to being known as "Volkel Air Base", other names for UDE include "Vliegbasis Volkel" and "(Advanced Landing Ground B-80)".
• It was believed that since the early 1960s, USAF nuclear weapons were stored at Volkel Air Base, to be used by the host nation's aircraft.
• The furthest airport from Volkel Air Base (UDE) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,886 miles (19,128 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Volkel Air Base (UDE) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Volkel Air Base (UDE) is Weeze Airport (NRN), which is located only 20 miles (32 kilometers) E of UDE.
• Because of Volkel Air Base's relatively low elevation of 72 feet, planes can take off or land at Volkel Air Base 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.
• After the occupation of the Netherlands by Germany in 1940, the Luftwaffe constructed a diversion airfield for fighter aircraft called Nachtlandeplatz Volkel.