Nonstop flight route between Waterford, Michigan, United States and Biak, Indonesia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Oakland County International Airport (PTK), Waterford, Michigan, United States and Frans Kaisiepo Airport (BIK), Biak, Indonesia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,673 miles (or 13,958 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 Oakland County International Airport and Frans Kaisiepo 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 Oakland County International Airport and Frans Kaisiepo 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 Oakland County International Airport (PTK):

• The closest airport to Oakland County International Airport (PTK) is Bishop International Airport (FNT), which is located 26 miles (43 kilometers) NW of PTK.
• Oakland County International Airport (PTK) has 3 runways.
• In March 2013 Lakeshore Express Aviation announced regular flights from Oakland County International Airport to Chicago-Midway on Saab 340B aircraft beginning in June.
• The furthest airport from Oakland County International Airport (PTK) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,269 miles (18,136 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Oakland County International Airport's relatively low elevation of 981 feet, planes can take off or land at Oakland County International 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 Frans Kaisiepo Airport (BIK):

• The Battle of Biak Island came about after a succession of Japanese defeats in 1943 and 1944 along the northern coast of New Guinea.
• Frans Kaisiepo Airport handled 366 passengers last year.
• Mokmer Airfield is located to the west of Mokmer village on Biak, parallel to the coastline and the Japen Straight and is the only one of the three currently used as an airport, now called Frans Kaisiepo International Airport.
• The furthest airport from Frans Kaisiepo Airport (BIK) is Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (Tirirical) (SLZ), which is nearly antipodal to Frans Kaisiepo Airport (meaning Frans Kaisiepo Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (Tirirical)), and is located 12,175 miles (19,593 kilometers) away in São Luís, Brazil.
• The closest airport to Frans Kaisiepo Airport (BIK) is Kornasoren Airport (FOO), which is located 87 miles (140 kilometers) WNW of BIK.
• At first phase, the airport was revamped to accommodate piston airliners such as the Douglas DC-3.
• Frans Kaisiepo Airport (BIK) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Frans Kaisiepo Airport's relatively low elevation of 46 feet, planes can take off or land at Frans Kaisiepo 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.
• Borokoe Airfield is due west of Mokmer, along the beach.
• With the advent of jet airliners such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, the airport went through another modernization to start accommodating them.
• In addition to being known as "Frans Kaisiepo Airport", another name for BIK is "Bandara Frans Kaisiepo".
• Mokmer Airfield was part of a complex of airfields built on Biak Island by the Japanese, of which Mokmer was the main USAAF facility after the island was taken by the United States after fierce fighting in late May and June 1944.