Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL), Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina would travel a Great Circle distance of 6,730 miles (or 10,831 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 Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández 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 Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández 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):

• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• 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).
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• 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.
• 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.
• Allegiant Air has expanded flights between Las Vegas and Santa Maria with four nonstops per week each way.
• 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 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.
• Other enhancements include a new passenger terminal holding room that opened February 2008.

Facts about Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL):

• Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport", another name for RGL is "Aeropuerto de Rio Gallegos "Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández"".
• The closest airport to Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL) is Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ), which is located 116 miles (187 kilometers) SSW of RGL.
• The furthest airport from Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (RGL) is Chita Kadala (HTA), which is nearly antipodal to Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport (meaning Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Chita Kadala), and is located 12,321 miles (19,829 kilometers) away in Chita, Russia.
• Because of Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport's relatively low elevation of 66 feet, planes can take off or land at Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández 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.