Nonstop flight route between Spokane, Washington, United States and Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA), Spokane, Washington, United States and Charters Towers Airport (CXT), Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,508 miles (or 12,084 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 Fairchild Air Force Base and Charters Towers 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 Fairchild Air Force Base and Charters Towers 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 Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA):

• The closest airport to Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Spokane International Airport (GEG), which is located only 6 miles (9 kilometers) E of SKA.
• The furthest airport from Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,665 miles (17,163 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• Since 1942, Fairchild Air Force Base/Station has been a key part of the United States' defense strategy—from World War II repair depot, to Strategic Air Command bomber wing during the Cold War, to Air Mobility Command air refueling wing during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
• In late 1974, the Air Force announced plans to convert the 141st Fighter Interceptor Group of the Washington Air National Guard, an F-101 Voodoo unit at Geiger Field, to an air refueling mission with KC-135 aircraft.
• As an added incentive to the War Department, many Spokane businesses and public-minded citizens donated money to purchase land for the base.
• In June 1992, with the inactivation of Strategic Air Command, the B-52 portion of the wing became part of the newly established Air Combat Command and was re-designated the 92d Bomb Wing.
• 7 December 1993 marked the beginning of a significant change in the mission of Fairchild when the B-52s were transferred to another ACC base while the KC-135s, now assigned to the newly established Air Mobility Command would remain.
• In addition to being known as "Fairchild Air Force Base", another name for SKA is "Fairchild AFB".

Facts about Charters Towers Airport (CXT):

• Because of Charters Towers Airport's relatively low elevation of 955 feet, planes can take off or land at Charters Towers 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.
• Charters Towers Airport (CXT) has 2 runways.
• The closest airport to Charters Towers Airport (CXT) is Townsville Airport (TSV), which is located 63 miles (102 kilometers) NNE of CXT.
• The furthest airport from Charters Towers Airport (CXT) is Agostinho Neto Airport (NTO), which is located 11,838 miles (19,052 kilometers) away in Ponta do Sol, Santo Antão, Cape Verde.
• In addition, 370th Service Squadron managed the day to day USAAF Base operations of the airfield.