Nonstop flight route between Santa Maria, California, United States and Chillán, Ñuble, Chile:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States and General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI), Chillán, Ñuble, Chile would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,838 miles (or 9,395 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 General Bernardo O'Higgins 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 General Bernardo O'Higgins 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Besides the current Allegiant jet service, SkyWest Airlines operating as United Express via a code sharing agreement with United Airlines flies Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia turboprops and sometimes Bombardier CRJ-200 Regional Jet nonstop to Los Angeles that served the airport for many years.
• 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 airport was built by the United States Army during World War II, known as Santa Maria Army Air Field.
• A runway extension opened on May 3, 2012, from 6,304 ft.
• 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.
• Allegiant Air has expanded flights between Las Vegas and Santa Maria with four nonstops per week each way.
• 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 General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI):

• The furthest airport from General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI) is Qingyang Airport (IQN), which is nearly antipodal to General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (meaning General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Qingyang Airport), and is located 12,379 miles (19,922 kilometers) away in Qingyang, Gansu, China.
• Because of General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport's relatively low elevation of 495 feet, planes can take off or land at General Bernardo O'Higgins 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.
• General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The closest airport to General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI) is Carriel Sur International Airport (CCP), which is located 59 miles (94 kilometers) WSW of YAI.