Nonstop flight route between Mzamba, South Africa and Minot, North Dakota, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Wild Coast Sun Airport (MZF), Mzamba, South Africa and Minot Air Force Base (MIB), Minot, North Dakota, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,055 miles (or 14,573 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 Wild Coast Sun Airport and Minot 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 Wild Coast Sun Airport and Minot 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 Wild Coast Sun Airport (MZF):

• The closest airport to Wild Coast Sun Airport (MZF) is Aggeneys Airport (AGZ), which is located only 0 mile (0 kilometer) E of MZF.
• The furthest airport from Wild Coast Sun Airport (MZF) is Princeville Airport (HPV), which is located 11,936 miles (19,210 kilometers) away in Hanalei, Hawaii, United States.
• Because of Wild Coast Sun Airport's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Wild Coast Sun 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.

Facts about Minot Air Force Base (MIB):

• Originally opened in 1957 as an Air Defense Command base, Minot AFB became a major Strategic Air Command base in the early 1960s, with both nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles and manned bombers and aerial refueling aircraft.
• The furthest airport from Minot Air Force Base (MIB) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,320 miles (16,609 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The closest airport to Minot Air Force Base (MIB) is Minot International Airport (MOT), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) SSE of MIB.
• In addition to being known as "Minot Air Force Base", another name for MIB is "Minot AFB".
• On 1 February 1963, SAC, as part of a conversion to unit designations with historical significance, activated the 450th Bombardment Wing at Minot and the 720th Bombardment Squadron, along with the formation of the 450th Airborne Missile Maintenance Squadron, 450th Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron, 450th Field Maintenance Squadron, and the 450th Organizational Maintenance Squadron simultaneously.
• Construction of Minot AFB began in May 1956 and it officially opened on 10 January 1957, named for the nearby city of Minot.
• The 810th Strategic Aerospace Division was inactivated 30 June 1971.
• The initial USAF host unit was the Air Defense Command 32d Air Base Group, activating on 8 February 1957.
• The 4th Post Attack Command & Control Squadron at Ellsworth AFB, SD maintained several EC-135 "Looking Glass" Aircraft on an alert at MAFB for coverage of the missile squadrons as a secondary Launch Control Center.
• In 1961, the Air Force selected the land around Minot for a new Minuteman I ICBM complex.