Nonstop flight route between Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States and Nikkō / Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL), Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States and Utsunomiya Air Field (QUT), Nikkō / Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,644 miles (or 10,692 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 Northwest Alabama Regional Airport and Utsunomiya Air 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 Northwest Alabama Regional Airport and Utsunomiya Air 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 Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL):

• As per the Federal Aviation Administration, this airport had 5,061 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 6,897 in 2009, and 8,680 in 2010.
• The closest airport to Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL) is Pryor Field Regional Airport (DCU), which is located 38 miles (62 kilometers) E of MSL.
• Northwest Alabama Regional Airport is a public-use airport in Colbert County, Alabama, United States.
• The furthest airport from Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,143 miles (17,932 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Northwest Alabama Regional Airport's relatively low elevation of 551 feet, planes can take off or land at Northwest Alabama Regional 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.
• Currently, Muscle Shoals is served by Silver Airways with two daily flights to Atlanta.
• Instruction at the school consisted of teaching the cadets to fly in formation, fly by instruments or by aerial navigation, fly at night, and fly for long distances.
• Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL) has 2 runways.

Facts about Utsunomiya Air Field (QUT):

• Utsunomiya Air Field (QUT) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Utsunomiya Air Field (QUT) is Rio Grande Regional Airport (RIG), which is located 11,685 miles (18,806 kilometers) away in Rio Grande, Brazil.
• The closest airport to Utsunomiya Air Field (QUT) is Fukushima Airport (FKS), which is located 58 miles (94 kilometers) NNE of QUT.
• Because of Utsunomiya Air Field's relatively low elevation of 334 feet, planes can take off or land at Utsunomiya Air 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 "Utsunomiya Air Field", other names for QUT include "宇都宮飛行場" and "Utsunomiya Hikōjō".