Nonstop flight route between Prestwick (near Glasgow), Scotland, United Kingdom and Riverside, California, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from PIK to RIV:
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- PIK Airport Information
- RIV Airport Information
- Facts about PIK
- Facts about RIV
- Map of Nearest Airports to PIK
- List of Nearest Airports to PIK
- Map of Furthest Airports from PIK
- List of Furthest Airports from PIK
- Map of Nearest Airports to RIV
- List of Nearest Airports to RIV
- Map of Furthest Airports from RIV
- List of Furthest Airports from RIV
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Glasgow-Prestwick Airport (PIK), Prestwick (near Glasgow), Scotland, United Kingdom and March Air Reserve Base (RIV), Riverside, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,102 miles (or 8,211 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 Glasgow-Prestwick Airport and March Air Reserve 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 Glasgow-Prestwick Airport and March Air Reserve Base. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | PIK / EGPK |
Airport Name: | Glasgow-Prestwick Airport |
Location: | Prestwick (near Glasgow), Scotland, United Kingdom |
GPS Coordinates: | 55°30'33"N by 4°35'39"W |
Area Served: | Glasgow, Prestwick, Strathclyde, Scotland |
Operator/Owner: | Scottish Government |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 65 feet (20 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from PIK |
More Information: | PIK Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | RIV / KRIV |
Airport Name: | March Air Reserve Base |
Location: | Riverside, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 33°52'50"N by 117°15'33"W |
View all routes: | Routes from RIV |
More Information: | RIV Maps & Info |
Facts about Glasgow-Prestwick Airport (PIK):
- In response, Mark Rodwell, chief executive of Prestwick Airport, told BBC Radio Scotland, that until it was proved otherwise Prestwick Airport remains the only place in the United Kingdom that Elvis Presley ever set foot.
- The airport began life around 1934 — primarily as a training airfield — with a hangar, offices and control tower were constructed by the end of 1935.
- Since 2007 the airport has occasionally been used by BBC motoring TV show Top Gear as the location for various stunts and experiments.
- Glasgow-Prestwick Airport handled 1,145,836 passengers last year.
- The closest airport to Glasgow-Prestwick Airport (PIK) is Glasgow International Airport (GLA), which is located 26 miles (42 kilometers) NNE of PIK.
- 2009 saw the unit break a new record as they were tasked to 447 call outs.
- Glasgow-Prestwick Airport (PIK) has 2 runways.
- Because of Glasgow-Prestwick Airport's relatively low elevation of 65 feet, planes can take off or land at Glasgow-Prestwick 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 furthest airport from Glasgow-Prestwick Airport (PIK) is Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), which is located 11,764 miles (18,932 kilometers) away in Stewart Island, New Zealand.
Facts about March Air Reserve Base (RIV):
- The closest airport to March Air Reserve Base (RIV) is Flabob Airport (RIR), which is located only 11 miles (18 kilometers) NW of RIV.
- March Field served as a base for primary flight training with an eight-week course.
- After the war, March was assigned to the new Tactical Air Command as part of the postwar reorganization of the Army Air Force.
- The furthest airport from March Air Reserve Base (RIV) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,461 miles (18,445 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
- In 1947, the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated as part of a service-wide, wing-base test and assigned to March.
- As March Field began to take on the appearance of a permanent military installation, the base's basic mission changed.
- The establishment of March Air Force Base began in the early 20th century at a time when the United States was rushing to build up its military forces in anticipation of an entry into World War I.