Nonstop flight route between Miles City, Montana, United States and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Miles City Airport (MLS), Miles City, Montana, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,939 miles (or 11,167 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 Miles City Airport and Buka Island 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 Miles City Airport and Buka Island 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 Miles City Airport (MLS):

• Frank Wiley Field covers 1,640 acres at an elevation of 2,630 feet.
• The closest airport to Miles City Airport (MLS) is Dawson Community Airport (GDV), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NE of MLS.
• The furthest airport from Miles City Airport (MLS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,496 miles (16,892 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In addition to being known as "Miles City Airport", another name for MLS is "Frank Wiley Field".
• Miles City Airport (MLS) has 2 runways.

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea.
• The origins of the airfield begin in 1941 when Australian troops built gun pits around a primitive airstrip in December 1941.
• The furthest airport from Buka Island Airport (BUA) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,781 miles (18,959 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
• Because of Buka Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Buka 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 Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• Today the airport is the primary air portal into Bougainville, and even 60 years after the war, wreckage from the military use of the airfield by the Japanese and Americans is easily found in the area.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.