Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Peru, Indiana, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from SMX to GUS:
Share this route:
Jump to:
- About this route
- SMX Airport Information
- GUS Airport Information
- Facts about SMX
- Facts about GUS
- Map of Nearest Airports to SMX
- List of Nearest Airports to SMX
- Map of Furthest Airports from SMX
- List of Furthest Airports from SMX
- Map of Nearest Airports to GUS
- List of Nearest Airports to GUS
- Map of Furthest Airports from GUS
- List of Furthest Airports from GUS
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Grissom Air Reserve Base (GUS), Peru, Indiana, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,903 miles (or 3,062 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 relatively short distance between Santa Maria Public Airport and Grissom Air Reserve Base, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SMX / KSMX |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Santa Maria, California, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 34°53'56"N by 120°27'26"W |
| Area Served: | Santa Maria, California |
| Operator/Owner: | Santa Maria Public Airport District |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 261 feet (80 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from SMX |
| More Information: | SMX Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | GUS / KGUS |
| Airport Names: |
|
| Location: | Peru, Indiana, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 40°38'53"N by 86°9'7"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from GUS |
| More Information: | GUS Maps & Info |
Facts about Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):
- A 4,000-square-foot baggage claim facility opened in 2007.
- 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.
- 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.
- After the war Santa Barbara County and the city of Santa Maria acquired the land and facilities through two grants in 1948.
- In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
- 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.
- 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).
- Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
Facts about Grissom Air Reserve Base (GUS):
- The closest airport to Grissom Air Reserve Base (GUS) is Kokomo Municipal Airport (OKK), which is located only 10 miles (15 kilometers) SSE of GUS.
- On 27 January 1967, the Apollo I spacecraft caught fire during a pre-launch preparation at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34, killing United States Air Force astronaut Lieutenant Colonel Virgil I.
- In addition to being known as "Grissom Air Reserve Base", another name for GUS is "Grissom ARS".
- Strategic Air Command assumed operational control of Bunker Hill Air Force Base from Tactical Air Command on 1 September 1957.
- Grissom Air Reserve Base is located in North Central Indiana and is home to the largest KC-135R Stratotanker wing in the Air Force Reserve Command.
- Despite this activity, the end of the Cold War led to a downsizing of the military.
- Until the retirement of the Space Shuttle on 21 July 2011, Grissom was listed as one of the emergency landing sites due to its 12,000 ft runway
- The furthest airport from Grissom Air Reserve Base (GUS) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,184 miles (17,998 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
- In addition, Air Defense Command activated the 319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at the new base, reporting to the 4706th Air Defense Wing at K.
- The United States Navy established Naval Air Station Bunker Hill in 1942 and closed it after World War II ended.
