Nonstop flight route between Omaha, Nebraska, United States and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Offutt Air Force Base (OFF), Omaha, Nebraska, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,472 miles (or 12,026 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 Offutt Air Force Base and Buka Island 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 Offutt Air Force Base and Buka Island 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 Offutt Air Force Base (OFF):

• In addition to being known as "Offutt Air Force Base", another name for OFF is "Offutt AFB".
• Production switched to B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombers in 1944, and 531 Superfortresses were produced before the end of World War II.
• Offutt again faced monumental changes in 1992 when the easing of world tensions allowed the United States to reorganize its Air Force.
• The closest airport to Offutt Air Force Base (OFF) is Millard Airport (MIQ), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) WNW of OFF.
• The furthest airport from Offutt Air Force Base (OFF) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,677 miles (17,183 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Offutt AFB's legacy includes the construction of the first two bombers to drop atomic bombs and over 40 years as the headquarters for the former Strategic Air Command and home for its associated ground and aerial command centers for the U.S.
• It was first used as a dispatch point for Indian conflicts on the Great Plains.
• The newly established United States Air Force took control of the facility in September 1947, and on 13 January 1948 it was renamed Offutt Air Force Base.
• In 1918, the 61st Balloon Company of the Army Air Corps was assigned to Fort Crook at the close of World War I, which performed combat reconnaissance training.

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• On 26 July, an Imperial Japanese Navy special detachment was sent to inspect Buka Airfield, but considered it unacceptable as a prospect for a speedily constructed major airfield.
• The furthest airport from Buka Island Airport (BUA) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,781 miles (18,959 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
• Because of Buka Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Buka Island 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.
• The origins of the airfield begin in 1941 when Australian troops built gun pits around a primitive airstrip in December 1941.
• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• In January 1944, the Allies drove the Japanese out of Buka, and the airfield was used for operations against the Japanese over New Guinea.