Nonstop flight route between San Bernardino, California, United States and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Norton Air Force Base (SBD), San Bernardino, California, United States and N'djili Airport (FIH), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,779 miles (or 14,128 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 Norton Air Force Base and N'djili 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 Norton Air Force Base and N'djili 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 Norton Air Force Base (SBD):

• Norton AFB was closed as a result of Base Realignment and Closure action 1988 in 1994.
• In the 1960s, Norton expanded its depot support mission by supporting Titan and Atlas Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles s, with depot-level logistical support.
• Discrete C-130 Hercules modification tests were conducted out of Area II of the base in the late 1960s, with the 1198th Operational Evaluation and Training Squadron operating four highly classified C-130E special operations testbeds modified at Lockheed Air Services, at near-by Ontario Airport under projects Thin Slice and Heavy Chain.
• In addition to being known as "Norton Air Force Base", another name for SBD is "Norton AFB".
• Major secondary missions of Norton Air Force Base was as Headquarters Air Defense Command for Southern California, during the 1950s and 1960s.
• The last of the facilities on the base were closed in 1995.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about N'djili Airport (FIH):

• In addition to being known as "N'djili Airport", another name for FIH is "Aéroport de N'djili".
• The furthest airport from N'djili Airport (FIH) is Cassidy International Airport (CXI), which is located 11,913 miles (19,172 kilometers) away in Christmas Island, Kiribati.
• The closest airport to N'djili Airport (FIH) is Maya–Maya Airport (BZV), which is located only 16 miles (26 kilometers) NW of FIH.
• The airport has barely been maintained or upgraded and is still using the infrastructure built by the Belgians during the colonial era.
• N'djili Airport handled 672,347 passengers last year.
• Air Traffic Control Tower at Kinshasa International Airport
• N'djili Airport (FIH) currently has only 1 runway.