Nonstop flight route between Rongelap Atoll, Marshall Islands and Big Spring, Texas, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rongelap Airport (RNP), Rongelap Atoll, Marshall Islands and Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS), Big Spring, Texas, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,901 miles (or 9,497 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 Rongelap 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 Rongelap 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 Rongelap Airport (RNP):

• The furthest airport from Rongelap Airport (RNP) is RAF Ascension (ASI), which is nearly antipodal to Rongelap Airport (meaning Rongelap Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from RAF Ascension), and is located 12,200 miles (19,634 kilometers) away in Georgetown, Ascension Island, Saint Helena.
• Rongelap Airport (RNP) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to Rongelap Airport (RNP) is Wotho Airport (WTO), which is located 91 miles (146 kilometers) SW of RNP.

Facts about Webb Air Force Base Big Spring Army Airfield (BGS):

• 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 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.
• 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.
• Webb Air Force Base, previously named Big Spring Air Force Base, was a United States Air Force facility of the Air Training Command that operated from 1951 to 1977 in west Texas within the current city limits of Big Spring.
• The facility was brought back into service as a primary training installation because of the Korean War and the need for additional pilots.
• In its continuing effort to cut costs, ATC made some major changes in the undergraduate pilot training program.
• The airfield and flight line was converted to an uncontrolled/UNICOM-only general aviation airport renamed Big Spring McMahon-Wrinkle Airport, serving the City of Big Spring.