Nonstop flight route between Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands and Orange City, Iowa, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST), Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands and Orange City Municipal Airport (ORC), Orange City, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,438 miles (or 7,143 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 Maastricht Aachen Airport and Orange City Municipal 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 Maastricht Aachen Airport and Orange City Municipal 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 Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST):

• The first unit to be based at the field was the 31st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, flying the F-6, a reconnaissance version of the P-51 Mustang.
• The furthest airport from Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,935 miles (19,207 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Maastricht Aachen Airport's relatively low elevation of 375 feet, planes can take off or land at Maastricht Aachen 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 international air traffic control area control centre for EUROCONTROL was built at the airport.
• Authority over what was to become known as Beek airfield, was officially transferred to the Dutch government on 1 August 1945.
• The field was built in less than 2 months and was operational on 22 March 1945, and was designated Y-44.
• On 14 May 1985, Pope John Paul II held an open air mass for 50,000 people at the airport, as part of his visit to the Netherlands.
• Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) currently has only 1 runway.
• In July 2004, a 100% share in the airport was acquired by OmDV, a consortium of airport investment company Omniport and the construction company Dura Vermeer, making it the first fully privatised airport in the Netherlands.
• Around 1980 the airport changed its name to "Maastricht Airport".
• Maastricht Aachen Airport handled 36,300 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) is NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen E–3A Component (GKE), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) ENE of MST.
• In 1946, the service was taken over by KLM, using DC-3 Dakotas.

Facts about Orange City Municipal Airport (ORC):

• Orange City Municipal Airport (ORC) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Orange City Municipal Airport (ORC) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,651 miles (17,141 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Orange City Municipal Airport (ORC) is Le Mars Municipal Airport (LRJ), which is located only 16 miles (26 kilometers) SSW of ORC.