Nonstop flight route between Opelousas, Louisiana, United States and Wichita, Kansas, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from OPL to IAB:
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- OPL Airport Information
- IAB Airport Information
- Facts about OPL
- Facts about IAB
- Map of Nearest Airports to OPL
- List of Nearest Airports to OPL
- Map of Furthest Airports from OPL
- List of Furthest Airports from OPL
- Map of Nearest Airports to IAB
- List of Nearest Airports to IAB
- Map of Furthest Airports from IAB
- List of Furthest Airports from IAB
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between St. Landry Parish Airport (OPL), Opelousas, Louisiana, United States and McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB), Wichita, Kansas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 570 miles (or 918 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 St. Landry Parish Airport and McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | OPL / KOPL |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Opelousas, Louisiana, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 30°33'29"N by 92°5'57"W |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 75 feet (23 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from OPL |
More Information: | OPL Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | IAB / KIAB |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Wichita, Kansas, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 37°37'23"N by 97°16'1"W |
View all routes: | Routes from IAB |
More Information: | IAB Maps & Info |
Facts about St. Landry Parish Airport (OPL):
- The closest airport to St. Landry Parish Airport (OPL) is Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT), which is located 25 miles (41 kilometers) SSE of OPL.
- In addition to being known as "St. Landry Parish Airport", another name for OPL is "Ahart Field".
- Because of St. Landry Parish Airport's relatively low elevation of 75 feet, planes can take off or land at St. Landry Parish 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.
- St. Landry Parish Airport (OPL) has 2 runways.
- The furthest airport from St. Landry Parish Airport (OPL) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,045 miles (17,775 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
Facts about McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB):
- The closest airport to McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB) is Cessna Aircraft Field (CEA), which is located only 2 miles (3 kilometers) NNE of IAB.
- By the summer of 1950, Boeing was ready to turn out the first production models of the B-47, and the United States Air Force sought to make Wichita Airport a permanent military installation.
- The Boeing B-47 Stratojet was the first swept-winged jet bomber built in quantity for any air force, and was the mainstay of the medium-bombing strength of the Strategic Air Command all throughout the 1950s.
- However, the name was changed to McConnell Air Force Base after less than a year in honor of Wichita brothers Fred and Thomas McConnell, both Air Force pilots and World War II veterans.
- In addition to being known as "McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield", another name for IAB is "McConnell AFB".
- McConnell's history began in October 1924, when the city of Wichita hosted more than 100,000 people for the National Air Congress.
- By 1952 the Air Force had decided to make a permanent base of the quondam municipal airport.
- The furthest airport from McConnell Air Force Base Wichita Army Airfield (IAB) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,740 miles (17,285 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- In August 1941, the Kansas National Guard 127th Observation Squadron was activated as the first military unit assigned to the Wichita airport.