Nonstop flight route between Oak Harbor, Washington, United States and Ashburton, New Zealand:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between NAS Whidbey Island (NUW), Oak Harbor, Washington, United States and Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG), Ashburton, New Zealand would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,508 miles (or 12,083 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 NAS Whidbey Island and Ashburton Aerodrome, 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 NAS Whidbey Island and Ashburton Aerodrome. 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 NAS Whidbey Island (NUW):

• The other section of the air station is known as the Seaplane Base.
• In addition to being known as "NAS Whidbey Island", another name for NUW is "Ault Field".
• At Ault Field, the earliest squadrons of aircraft were F4F Wildcats, which came aboard in 1942, followed by F6F Hellcats.
• Because of NAS Whidbey Island's relatively low elevation of 47 feet, planes can take off or land at NAS Whidbey Island 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.
• In all, there are 17 active duty squadrons and 2 Ready Reserve squadrons currently based at NAS Whidbey Island.
• The furthest airport from NAS Whidbey Island (NUW) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,730 miles (17,268 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• On September 21, 1942, the air station's first Commanding Officer, CAPT Cyril Thomas Simard, read the orders and the watch was set.
• NAS Whidbey Island (NUW) has 2 runways.
• Over 50 tenant commands are also located at NAS Whidbey Island, providing training, medical and dental, and other support services, including a Marine Aviation Training Support Group for Whidbey’s staff and student Marine Corps personnel.
• In late 1993, with the pending closures of NAS Moffett Field, California and NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii additional P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft came aboard NAS Whidbey Island, along with the associated staffs of Commander, Patrol Wings, U.S.
• The closest airport to NAS Whidbey Island (NUW) is A.J. Eisenberg Airport (ODW), which is located only 7 miles (11 kilometers) S of NUW.
• During the Korean War, patrol plane activity was stepped up again with several Naval Air Reserve units being called up and redesignated as active duty squadrons.

Facts about Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG):

• The closest airport to Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) is Richard Pearse Airport (Timaru Airport) (TIU), which is located 40 miles (64 kilometers) SW of ASG.
• The furthest airport from Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) is A Coruña Airport (LCG), which is nearly antipodal to Ashburton Aerodrome (meaning Ashburton Aerodrome is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from A Coruña Airport), and is located 12,394 miles (19,947 kilometers) away in A Coruña, Spain.
• Ashburton Aerodrome (ASG) has 4 runways.
• Because of Ashburton Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 298 feet, planes can take off or land at Ashburton Aerodrome 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.