Nonstop flight route between Salem, Illinois, United States and Tripoli, Libya:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Salem–Leckrone Airport (SLO), Salem, Illinois, United States and Mitiga International Airport (MJI), Tripoli, Libya would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,421 miles (or 8,724 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 Salem–Leckrone Airport and Mitiga International 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 Salem–Leckrone Airport and Mitiga International 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 Salem–Leckrone Airport (SLO):

• Salem–Leckrone Airport is a public use airport located two nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Salem, a city in Marion County, Illinois, United States.
• The airport is named for Philip Leckrone, a flying instructor from Salem who fought in the Royal Air Force Eagle Squadrons during World War II.
• The closest airport to Salem–Leckrone Airport (SLO) is Mt. Vernon Airport (MVN), which is located 23 miles (37 kilometers) SSE of SLO.
• Salem–Leckrone Airport covers an area of 364 acres at an elevation of 573 feet above mean sea level.
• The furthest airport from Salem–Leckrone Airport (SLO) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,062 miles (17,802 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• Because of Salem–Leckrone Airport's relatively low elevation of 573 feet, planes can take off or land at Salem–Leckrone 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.
• Salem–Leckrone Airport (SLO) currently has only 1 runway.

Facts about Mitiga International Airport (MJI):

• The closest airport to Mitiga International Airport (MJI) is Tripoli International Airport (TIP), which is located only 18 miles (28 kilometers) SSW of MJI.
• Because of Mitiga International Airport's relatively low elevation of 36 feet, planes can take off or land at Mitiga International 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.
• The fourteen-hour 9,300-kilometre round trip to Libya required numerous in-air refuelings, because countries closer to Libya – Spain, Italy, France, and Greece – had refused American planes permission to fly over or from bases in their countries.
• The 48 TFW had practiced for years at Wheelus with F-100s and later at Zaragoza AB Spain with F-4D Phantoms and the F-111s for just such a mission.
• After 1970, the facility was known as Okba Ben Nafi Air Base, a Libyan People's Air Force installation.
• Mitiga International Airport (MJI) has 2 runways.
• In addition to being known as "Mitiga International Airport", another name for MJI is "مطار امعيتيقة الدولي".
• The furthest airport from Mitiga International Airport (MJI) is Rarotonga International Airport (RAR), which is located 11,524 miles (18,546 kilometers) away in Avarua, Cook Islands.
• Alitalia and Turkish Airlines also moved back to Tripoli International after it reopened.
• On 13 March 2011, Ali Atiyya, a colonel of the Libyan Air Force at the airport, defected and joined the anti-Gaddafi forces.