Nonstop flight route between Salem, Oregon, United States and Ponce, Puerto Rico:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between McNary Field (SLE), Salem, Oregon, United States and Mercedita Airport (PSE), Ponce, Puerto Rico would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,717 miles (or 5,982 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 Mercedita 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 McNary Field and Mercedita 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 McNary Field (SLE):

• The airport has a control tower, a restaurant, a general aviation center including limited flight training, and a small terminal.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "McNary Field", another name for SLE is "Salem Municipal AirportSalem Army Airfield".
• 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.
• The closest airport to McNary Field (SLE) is Corvallis Municipal Airport (CVO), which is located 32 miles (51 kilometers) SSW of SLE.
• The Oregon Army National Guard - Army Aviation Support Facility and charter flights also use the facilities.

Facts about Mercedita Airport (PSE):

• On June 24, 1972, Prinair Flight 191, which took off from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, crashed while attempting to land at Mercedita Airport.
• In addition to being known as "Mercedita Airport", other names for PSE include "Aeropuerto Mercedita" and "18.00'30"N, 66.33'47"W".
• The airport is also home of the southern aerial division of the Puerto Rico Police Department.
• The closest airport to Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airport (ARE), which is located 31 miles (51 kilometers) NNW of PSE.
• On August 12, 1981, an Air Florida plane with 125 Haitian refugees aboard landed at Mercedita en route to the Fort Allen facility in Juana Diaz, part of the 1981 Haitian refugees exodus.
• Mercedita Airport (PSE) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Mercedita Airport (PSE) is Barrow Island Airport (BWB), which is nearly antipodal to Mercedita Airport (meaning Mercedita Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Barrow Island Airport), and is located 12,201 miles (19,636 kilometers) away in Barrow Island, Western Australia, Australia.
• In February 2009, Ponce mayor María Meléndez sought transfer of the airport from the Puerto Rico central government to the Ponce Municipal government amidst discontent with the bureaucracy at the central government that could be avoided if the airport was locally managed.
• The Puerto Rico Ports Authority recently announced an investment of 7 million dollars to extend Mercedita's runway to 8,000 feet.
• Because of Mercedita Airport's relatively low elevation of 29 feet, planes can take off or land at Mercedita 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.