Nonstop flight route between Salem, Oregon, United States and Hawker, South Australia, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between McNary Field (SLE), Salem, Oregon, United States and Wilpena Pound (HWK), Hawker, South Australia, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,101 miles (or 13,038 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 McNary Field and Wilpena Pound, 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 McNary Field and Wilpena Pound. 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 McNary Field (SLE):

• Because of McNary Field's relatively low elevation of 214 feet, planes can take off or land at McNary Field 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 closest airport to McNary Field (SLE) is Corvallis Municipal Airport (CVO), which is located 32 miles (51 kilometers) SSW of SLE.
• McNary Field (SLE) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from McNary Field (SLE) is Tôlanaro Airport (FTU), which is located 10,954 miles (17,628 kilometers) away in Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
• In addition to being known as "McNary Field", another name for SLE is "Salem Municipal AirportSalem Army Airfield".
• United Airlines was the first airline at Salem, in the 1940s.

Facts about Wilpena Pound (HWK):

• The furthest airport from Wilpena Pound (HWK) is Flores Airport (FLW), which is located 11,642 miles (18,736 kilometers) away in Flores Island, Azores, Portugal.
• Because of Wilpena Pound's relatively low elevation of 0 feet, planes can take off or land at Wilpena Pound 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 area is part of the Adelaide Geosyncline.
• The Pound also later became part of the Flinders Ranges National Park.
• The name of the Pound, Wilpena, is reported to be Aboriginal, meaning "place of bent fingers".
• The closest airport to Wilpena Pound (HWK) is Leigh Creek Airport (LGH), which is located 67 miles (108 kilometers) N of HWK.
• The first European to see the distant mountains of the Pound was almost certainly Edward Eyre from the western plains on his first 1839 expedition to the vicinity of Lake Torrens.