Nonstop flight route between Mauke Island, Cook Islands and Wichita Falls, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Akatoka Manava Airport (Mauke Airport) (MUK), Mauke Island, Cook Islands and Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,380 miles (or 8,658 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 Akatoka Manava Airport (Mauke Airport) and Sheppard Air Force 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 Akatoka Manava Airport (Mauke Airport) and Sheppard Air Force 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 Akatoka Manava Airport (Mauke Airport) (MUK):

• Because of Akatoka Manava Airport (Mauke Airport)'s relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Akatoka Manava Airport (Mauke 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 Akatoka Manava Airport (Mauke Airport) (MUK) is Mitiaro Island Airport (MOI), which is located 31 miles (50 kilometers) NW of MUK.
• The furthest airport from Akatoka Manava Airport (Mauke Airport) (MUK) is Faya-Largeau Airport (FYT), which is nearly antipodal to Akatoka Manava Airport (Mauke Airport) (meaning Akatoka Manava Airport (Mauke Airport) is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Faya-Largeau Airport), and is located 12,159 miles (19,568 kilometers) away in Faya-Largeau, Chad.

Facts about Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS):

• Helicopter pilot training was transferred from Stead AFB, Nevada in October 1965, with H-19, H-43, Bell TH-1F, CH-3C and HH-3E helicopters used for training.
• It was officially opened as an Army Air Corps training center on 17 October 1941, following the arrival of the first military members on 14 June.
• The host unit on Sheppard Air Force Base is the 82nd Training Wing whose mission makes it the most diversified training base within the Air Education and Training Command.
• Sheppard Air Force Base is named in honor of Senator John Morris Sheppard of Texas, chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee from 1933 until his death on 9 April 1941.
• The Department of Defense proposed a major realignment of the base, as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program announced on 13 May 2005.
• Additionally, officers from all 13 participating nations fill subordinate leadership positions throughout the wing.
• The host unit at Sheppard is the 82d Training Wing, which provides specialized technical training, medical, and field training for officers, Airmen, and civilians of all branches of the military, other DoD agencies, and foreign nationals.
• The closest airport to Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Kickapoo Downtown Airport (KIP), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) S of SPS.
• The furthest airport from Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,952 miles (17,626 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".