Nonstop flight route between Mountain View, California, United States and Benguela, Angola:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Moffett Federal Airfield (NUQ), Mountain View, California, United States and Benguela Airport (BUG), Benguela, Angola would travel a Great Circle distance of 9,206 miles (or 14,815 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 Moffett Federal Airfield and Benguela 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 Moffett Federal Airfield and Benguela 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 Moffett Federal Airfield (NUQ):

• Because of Moffett Federal Airfield's relatively low elevation of 32 feet, planes can take off or land at Moffett Federal Airfield 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.
• After the crashing of the Macon on 12 February 1935, the Navy wanted to close Moffett Field due to its high cost of operations.
• The furthest airport from Moffett Federal Airfield (NUQ) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 11,365 miles (18,290 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• The closest airport to Moffett Federal Airfield (NUQ) is Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County (PAO), which is located only 5 miles (8 kilometers) NW of NUQ.
• A spirited debate is underway over the future of Hangar One.
• On April 16, 1942, control of the facility was returned to the Navy and it was re-commissioned as NAS Sunnyvale.
• Moffett Field's Hangars Two and Three were built at the beginning of WWII for a program of coastal defense.
• Moffett Federal Airfield (NUQ) has 2 runways.
• Moffett Field's "Hangar One" and the row of World War II blimp hangars are still some of the largest unsupported structures in the country.
• Upon taking jurisdiction of Moffett Field, the Army took on the high cost of Hangar One's maintenance and wanted to inactivate the facility.
• Hangar One is one of the world's largest freestanding structures, covering 8 acres.

Facts about Benguela Airport (BUG):

• Because of Benguela Airport's relatively low elevation of 118 feet, planes can take off or land at Benguela 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.
• Benguela Airport (BUG) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Benguela Airport (BUG) is Waku Kungo Airport/Cela (CEO), which is located 141 miles (227 kilometers) NE of BUG.
• The furthest airport from Benguela Airport (BUG) is Johnston Atoll Airport (JON), which is nearly antipodal to Benguela Airport (meaning Benguela Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Johnston Atoll Airport), and is located 12,091 miles (19,459 kilometers) away in Johnston Atoll, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
• In addition to being known as "Benguela Airport", other names for BUG include "Benguela/Monbaca Airport (Benguela)", "Aeroporto de Benguela" and "Benguela Airport".