Nonstop flight route between Polacca, Arizona, United States and Falkland Islands:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Polacca Airport (PXL), Polacca, Arizona, United States and RAF Mount Pleasant (MPN), Falkland Islands would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,818 miles (or 10,973 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 Polacca Airport and RAF Mount Pleasant, 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 Polacca Airport and RAF Mount Pleasant. 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 Polacca Airport (PXL):

• Because of Polacca Airport's high elevation of 5,573 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at PXL. Combined with a high temperature, this could make PXL a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• This airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a general aviation facility.
• In addition to being known as "Polacca Airport", another name for PXL is "P10".
• The furthest airport from Polacca Airport (PXL) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,266 miles (18,131 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• The closest airport to Polacca Airport (PXL) is Winslow-Lindbergh Regional AirportWinslow Municipal Airport (INW), which is located 56 miles (90 kilometers) SSW of PXL.
• Polacca Airport (PXL) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about RAF Mount Pleasant (MPN):

• Using the IATA airport code MPN, RAF Mount Pleasant also acts as the Falkland Islands' only international airport, along with its military role.
• Mount Pleasant was opened by Prince Andrew on 12 May 1985, becoming fully operational the following year.
• The closest airport to RAF Mount Pleasant (MPN) is Port Stanley Airport (PSY), which is located 30 miles (49 kilometers) ENE of MPN.
• The British government felt that Stanley airfield was not the best option for a large, permanent station and decided to construct a new RAF station and make it the centrepiece of considerably strengthened air defences for the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
• There is also a Joint Communications Unit providing the electronic warfare and command and control systems for the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.
• The furthest airport from RAF Mount Pleasant (MPN) is Mohe Gulian Airport (OHE), which is nearly antipodal to RAF Mount Pleasant (meaning RAF Mount Pleasant is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Mohe Gulian Airport), and is located 12,353 miles (19,879 kilometers) away in Mohe, Heilongjiang, China.
• A flight of Westland Sea King helicopters for support and search and rescue has been located at Mount Pleasant since November 2007.
• Flights are planned to Saint Helena when a new airport there opens in 2016.