Nonstop flight route between Salida, Colorado, United States and Buka Island, Papua New Guinea:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Harriet Alexander Field (SLT), Salida, Colorado, United States and Buka Island Airport (BUA), Buka Island, Papua New Guinea would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,953 miles (or 11,189 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 Harriet Alexander Field and Buka Island 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 Harriet Alexander Field and Buka Island 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 Harriet Alexander Field (SLT):

• Harriet Alexander Field (SLT) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Harriet Alexander Field's high elevation of 7,523 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at SLT. Combined with a high temperature, this could make SLT a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
• In the year ending April 20, 2006 the airport had 9,653 aircraft operations, 99.5% general aviation and 0.5% military.
• The furthest airport from Harriet Alexander Field (SLT) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,993 miles (17,691 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
• Harriet Alexander Field is a public airport two miles west of Salida, in Chaffee County, Colorado.
• The closest airport to Harriet Alexander Field (SLT) is Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport (GUC), which is located 48 miles (77 kilometers) W of SLT.
• In addition to being known as "Harriet Alexander Field", another name for SLT is "ANK".

Facts about Buka Island Airport (BUA):

• The closest airport to Buka Island Airport (BUA) is Nissan Island Airport (IIS), which is located 71 miles (114 kilometers) NNW of BUA.
• Because of Buka Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 11 feet, planes can take off or land at Buka Island 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.
• Today the airport is the primary air portal into Bougainville, and even 60 years after the war, wreckage from the military use of the airfield by the Japanese and Americans is easily found in the area.
• The origins of the airfield begin in 1941 when Australian troops built gun pits around a primitive airstrip in December 1941.
• The furthest airport from Buka Island Airport (BUA) is São Filipe Airport (SFL), which is located 11,781 miles (18,959 kilometers) away in Fogo, Cape Verde.
• Buka Island Airport (BUA) currently has only 1 runway.
• In 2004, the airport experienced some closures due to land disputes.