Nonstop flight route between Muang Xay, Laos and Del Rio, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Oudomsay Airport (ODY), Muang Xay, Laos and Laughlin Air Force Base (DLF), Del Rio, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,661 miles (or 13,939 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 Oudomsay Airport and Laughlin 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 Oudomsay Airport and Laughlin 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 Oudomsay Airport (ODY):

• In addition to being known as "Oudomsay Airport", another name for ODY is "VL0S".
• The furthest airport from Oudomsay Airport (ODY) is Maria Reiche Neuman Airport (NZC), which is located 11,987 miles (19,291 kilometers) away in Nazca, Ica Region, Peru.
• The closest airport to Oudomsay Airport (ODY) is Louangnamtha Airport (LXG), which is located 43 miles (69 kilometers) WNW of ODY.
• Because of Oudomsay Airport's relatively low elevation of 509 feet, planes can take off or land at Oudomsay 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 Laughlin Air Force Base (DLF):

• Aside from the reservoir outside of Del Rio for fishing and some lake diving, most forms of recreation are either in the town of Del Rio or across the border in Ciudad Acuña, however current DoD policy does not allow travel across the border for military personnel.
• Laughlin U-2s were among the first to provide photographic evidence of Soviet missile installations in Cuba in 1962 when 4080th U-2 pilot Major Steve Heyser flew his U-2C over Cuba after taking off from Edwards AFB, California.
• The furthest airport from Laughlin Air Force Base (DLF) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,241 miles (18,091 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• As of the census of 2014, there were 2,225 people, 651 households, and 570 families residing on the base.
• Park University offers onsite and online classes on base.
• The closest airport to Laughlin Air Force Base (DLF) is Del Rio International Airport (DRT), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) W of DLF.
• Another 4080th pilot, Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr., perished when his U-2 was hit by shrapnel from a Soviet-made SA-2 on October 22, 1962 while overflying Cuba from McCoy AFB.