Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and San Felipe de Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Gregorio Luperón International Airport (POP), San Felipe de Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,200 miles (or 5,150 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 Gregorio Luperón 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 Santa Maria Public Airport and Gregorio Luperón 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 Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):

• At one point during the early 1980's Swift Aire Lines, which was based at the nearby San Luis Obispo Airport, was the only airline flying nonstop between Santa Maria and Los Angeles, primarily with Fokker F27 Friendship turboprops which the carrier had purchased new from the manufacturer.
• 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.
• A 4,000-square-foot baggage claim facility opened in 2007.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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".

Facts about Gregorio Luperón International Airport (POP):

• Gregorio Luperón International Airport (POP) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Gregorio Luperón International Airport", another name for POP is "Aeropuerto Internacional Gregorio Luperón".
• The closest airport to Gregorio Luperón International Airport (POP) is Cibao International Airport (STI), which is located 24 miles (39 kilometers) S of POP.
• Because of Gregorio Luperón International Airport's relatively low elevation of 15 feet, planes can take off or land at Gregorio Luperón 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 furthest airport from Gregorio Luperón International Airport (POP) is RAAF Learmonth (LEA), which is nearly antipodal to Gregorio Luperón International Airport (meaning Gregorio Luperón International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from RAAF Learmonth), and is located 12,091 miles (19,458 kilometers) away in Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia.
• Gregorio Luperón International Airport handled 744,754 passengers last year.
• The main terminal building has 10 gates.