Nonstop flight route between Patuxent River, Maryland, United States and Spencer, Iowa, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from NHK to SPW:
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- About this route
- NHK Airport Information
- SPW Airport Information
- Facts about NHK
- Facts about SPW
- Map of Nearest Airports to NHK
- List of Nearest Airports to NHK
- Map of Furthest Airports from NHK
- List of Furthest Airports from NHK
- Map of Nearest Airports to SPW
- List of Nearest Airports to SPW
- Map of Furthest Airports from SPW
- List of Furthest Airports from SPW
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NHK), Patuxent River, Maryland, United States and Spencer Municipal Airport (SPW), Spencer, Iowa, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,037 miles (or 1,670 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 relatively short distance between Naval Air Station Patuxent River and Spencer Municipal Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | NHK / KNHK |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Patuxent River, Maryland, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 38°17'9"N by 76°24'42"W |
Operator/Owner: | United States Navy |
Airport Type: | Naval Air Station |
Elevation: | 39 feet (12 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from NHK |
More Information: | NHK Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SPW / KSPW |
Airport Names: |
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Location: | Spencer, Iowa, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 43°9'56"N by 95°12'10"W |
Area Served: | Spencer, Iowa |
Operator/Owner: | City of Spencer |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 1339 feet (408 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from SPW |
More Information: | SPW Maps & Info |
Facts about Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NHK):
- Because of Naval Air Station Patuxent River's relatively low elevation of 39 feet, planes can take off or land at Naval Air Station Patuxent River 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.
- Cooperation with the British also led to transatlantic visits to PAX River by RAF squadrons.
- In addition to its role in testing naval aircraft, during the 1950s to 1970s Patuxent River served as an operational base for a Transport Squadron - VR-1, a TACAMO squadron - VQ-4, Airborne Training Unit Atlantic - AEWTULANT, and VW-11, VW-13 AN VW-15 and a number of Patrol Squadrons including VP-8, VP-44, VP-49, VP-24, VP-30 and VP-68.
- The base was also was used as a filming location for the Harrison Ford film Random Hearts.
- The closest airport to Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NHK) is St. Mary's County Regional Airport (LTW), which is located only 8 miles (12 kilometers) WNW of NHK.
- Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NHK) has 3 runways.
- On 1 April 1976, Patuxent River's air field was named after pioneering aviator VADM Frederick M.
- The furthest airport from Naval Air Station Patuxent River (NHK) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,728 miles (18,874 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- Situated on a peninsula between the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Patuxent River, NAS Patuxent River is located on 6,400 acres of what was once prime farmland, consisting of several large plantations, Mattapony, Susquehanna, and Cedar Point, as well as numerous tenant and sharecropper properties and a few clusters of vacation homes.
- In addition to being known as "Naval Air Station Patuxent River", other names for NHK include "Trapnell Field" and "KNHK - FAA: NHK".
- A lack of transportation in Saint Mary's County led the Navy to acquire and revitalize a branchline called theWashington, Brandywine and Point Lookout Railroad from Brandywine to Mechanicsville, Maryland in June 1942 and build an extension south from Mechanicsville to the air station.
Facts about Spencer Municipal Airport (SPW):
- The furthest airport from Spencer Municipal Airport (SPW) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,691 miles (17,206 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- The closest airport to Spencer Municipal Airport (SPW) is Jackson Municipal Airport (MJQ), which is located 35 miles (57 kilometers) NNE of SPW.
- Spencer Municipal Airport (SPW) has 2 runways.
- In addition to being known as "Spencer Municipal Airport", another name for SPW is "Northwest Iowa Regional AirportSpencer Army Airfield".
- The airport is not served by any commercial airlines at this time but it was once the home of Great Lakes Airlines.