Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Faya-Largeau, Chad:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Faya-Largeau Airport (FYT), Faya-Largeau, Chad would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,926 miles (or 12,755 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 Santa Maria Public Airport and Faya-Largeau 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 Santa Maria Public Airport and Faya-Largeau 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 Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):

• The closest airport to Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Vandenberg Air Force Base (VBG), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SSW of SMX.
• The extended primary runway at Santa Maria is paved to 8,004 feet, giving the airport the longest civil runway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on the central coast and Vandenberg AFB's runway are longer).
• A runway extension opened on May 3, 2012, from 6,304 ft.
• Because of Santa Maria Public Airport's relatively low elevation of 261 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria Public 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.
• During its use by the military Santa Maria AAF also controlled Estrella Army Airfield, near Paso Robles as an auxiliary airfield to support the pilot training activity.
• Other enhancements include a new passenger terminal holding room that opened February 2008.
• The furthest airport from Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,466 miles (18,453 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.

Facts about Faya-Largeau Airport (FYT):

• The furthest airport from Faya-Largeau Airport (FYT) is Rarotonga International Airport (RAR), which is nearly antipodal to Faya-Largeau Airport (meaning Faya-Largeau Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Rarotonga International Airport), and is located 12,199 miles (19,632 kilometers) away in Avarua, Cook Islands.
• The closest airport to Faya-Largeau Airport (FYT) is Abéché Airport (AEH), which is located 304 miles (489 kilometers) SSE of FYT.
• Because of Faya-Largeau Airport's relatively low elevation of 771 feet, planes can take off or land at Faya-Largeau 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.
• On 16 February 1976, Douglas C-47A TT-LAG of the Force Aérienne Tchadienne was damaged beyond economic repair in an accident at Faya-Largeau Airport.
• Faya-Largeau Airport (FYT) currently has only 1 runway.