Nonstop flight route between Riohacha, Colombia and San Bernardino, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Almirante Padilla Airport (RCH), Riohacha, Colombia and Norton Air Force Base (SBD), San Bernardino, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,189 miles (or 5,133 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 Almirante Padilla Airport and Norton Air Force 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 Almirante Padilla Airport and Norton Air Force Base. 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 Almirante Padilla Airport (RCH):

• Because of Almirante Padilla Airport's relatively low elevation of 43 feet, planes can take off or land at Almirante Padilla 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 Almirante Padilla Airport (RCH) is Christmas Island Airport (XCH), which is nearly antipodal to Almirante Padilla Airport (meaning Almirante Padilla Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Christmas Island Airport), and is located 12,317 miles (19,822 kilometers) away in Christmas Island, Australia.
• Almirante Padilla Airport (RCH) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Almirante Padilla Airport", another name for RCH is "Aeropuerto Almirante Padilla".
• The closest airport to Almirante Padilla Airport (RCH) is La Mina Airport Jorge Isaacs Airport (MCJ), which is located 36 miles (58 kilometers) SE of RCH.

Facts about Norton Air Force Base (SBD):

• The SAGE Direction Center closed in 1966 along with the other ADC facilities at Norton.
• The last of the facilities on the base were closed in 1995.
• LAADS was inactivated on 1 April 1966 and the designation was returned as the 27th Air Division, being stationed at Luke AFB, Arizona under Fourth Air Force as part of a consolidation with the inactivating Phoenix Air Defense Sector.
• The closest airport to Norton Air Force Base (SBD) is San Bernardino International Airport (SBT), which is located only 0 mile (0 kilometer) S of SBD.
• A change of mission in 1966 from Air Force Logistics Command to Military Airlift Command meant that Norton became one of six Military Airlift Command strategic-airlift bases, supporting US Army and Marine Corps' airlift requirements among other functions.
• The furthest airport from Norton Air Force Base (SBD) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,447 miles (18,423 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• In addition to being known as "Norton Air Force Base", another name for SBD is "Norton AFB".
• Norton Air Force Base began before World War II as Municipal Airport, San Bernardino under Army Air Corps jurisdiction.