Nonstop flight route between Punta Arenas, Chile and Big Spring, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ), Punta Arenas, Chile and Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS), Big Spring, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,170 miles (or 9,930 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 Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport and Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield, 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 Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport and Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield. 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 Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ):

• Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ) has 3 runways.
• The closest airport to Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ) is Teniente Julio Gallardo Airfield (PNT), which is located 116 miles (187 kilometers) NW of PUQ.
• The furthest airport from Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ) is Baikal International Airport (UUD), which is nearly antipodal to Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (meaning Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Baikal International Airport), and is located 12,327 miles (19,839 kilometers) away in Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia, Russia.
• In addition to being known as "Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport", another name for PUQ is "Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Carlos Ibáñez".
• Because of Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport's relatively low elevation of 139 feet, planes can take off or land at Presidente Carlos Ibáñez 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 Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS):

• The base was declared surplus and was turned over to the War Assets Administration after being closed.
• The furthest airport from Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,166 miles (17,969 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Perhaps the most dominant feature on the ATC landscape in 1974 was the serious fuel shortage the command had to contend with for much of the year.
• The AT-11 which was activated to replace the separate air and ground units.
• The closest airport to Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS) is Midland Airpark (MDD), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) WSW of BGS.
• 3560th Pilot Training Wing
• By the mid-1970s, the end of the Vietnam War, the associated financial costs of that conflict and related cuts in USAF force structure and future defense budgets meant a marked decrease in the need for Air Force pilots.
• The facility was brought back into service as a primary training installation because of the Korean War and the need for additional pilots.