Nonstop flight route between Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling, Illinois, United States and Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Chicago Executive Airport (PWK), Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling, Illinois, United States and Bloemfontein International Airport (BFN), Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,726 miles (or 14,043 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 Chicago Executive Airport and Bloemfontein International 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 Chicago Executive Airport and Bloemfontein International 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 Chicago Executive Airport (PWK):

• Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) has 3 runways.
• Because of Chicago Executive Airport's relatively low elevation of 647 feet, planes can take off or land at Chicago Executive 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 closest airport to Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) is Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) S of PWK.
• In 2007 Chicago Executive's management created a public viewing area east of the south end of Runway 16-34 along Palatine Frontage Road, with parking, a picnic table, bleacher seating and a PA speaker to allow visitors to monitor Air Traffic Control radio communications.
• The airport opened in 1925 as Gauthier's Flying Field.
• The airport logs over 167,000 take-offs and landings each year and is the third busiest airport in Illinois.
• The furthest airport from Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,069 miles (17,813 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Charlie Priester kept an FBO at the airport along with a charter company called Priester Aviation.

Facts about Bloemfontein International Airport (BFN):

• In 2012, the airport served 426,420 passengers.
• Because of Bloemfontein International Airport's high elevation of 4,457 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at BFN. Combined with a high temperature, this could make BFN a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• South African Express is the operator with the most scheduled flights to Bloemfontein.
• Bloemfontein Airport is located in Bloemfontein, a city in the Free State province of South Africa.
• The furthest airport from Bloemfontein International Airport (BFN) is Kalaupapa Airport (LUP), which is located 11,855 miles (19,079 kilometers) away in Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States.
• Bloemfontein International Airport (BFN) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Bloemfontein International Airport (BFN) is Mafeteng Airport (MFC), which is located 75 miles (120 kilometers) SE of BFN.