Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Virac, Catanduanes, Philippines:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and Virac Airport (VRC), Virac, Catanduanes, Philippines would travel a Great Circle distance of 7,043 miles (or 11,335 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 Virac 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 Virac 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 first airline to serve Santa Maria was Southwest Airways operating Douglas DC-3 prop aircraft.
• 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.
• 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".
• Santa Maria Public Airport is three miles south of Santa Maria, in northern Santa Barbara County, California.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Virac Airport (VRC):

• Virac Airport (VRC) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Virac Airport's relatively low elevation of 121 feet, planes can take off or land at Virac 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 Virac Airport (VRC) is Legazpi Airport (LGP), which is located 42 miles (68 kilometers) SW of VRC.
• The furthest airport from Virac Airport (VRC) is Marechal Rondon International Airport (CGB), which is nearly antipodal to Virac Airport (meaning Virac Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Marechal Rondon International Airport), and is located 12,292 miles (19,782 kilometers) away in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
• In addition to being known as "Virac Airport", another name for VRC is "Paliparan ng ViracPalayogan nin Virac".
• Virac Airport handled 30,002 passengers last year.