Nonstop flight route between La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain and Boca Chica Key, Florida, United States:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SPC to NQX:
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- About this route
- SPC Airport Information
- NQX Airport Information
- Facts about SPC
- Facts about NQX
- Map of Nearest Airports to SPC
- List of Nearest Airports to SPC
- Map of Furthest Airports from SPC
- List of Furthest Airports from SPC
- Map of Nearest Airports to NQX
- List of Nearest Airports to NQX
- Map of Furthest Airports from NQX
- List of Furthest Airports from NQX
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between La Palma Airport (SPC), La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain and NAS Key West (NQX), Boca Chica Key, Florida, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,913 miles (or 6,297 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 La Palma Airport and NAS Key West, 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 La Palma Airport and NAS Key West. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SPC / GCLA |
Airport Name: | La Palma Airport |
Location: | La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain |
GPS Coordinates: | 28°37'35"N by 17°45'20"W |
Area Served: | La Palma |
Operator/Owner: | Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 108 feet (33 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from SPC |
More Information: | SPC Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | NQX / KNQX |
Airport Names: |
|
Location: | Boca Chica Key, Florida, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 24°34'32"N by 81°41'20"W |
Operator/Owner: | United States Navy |
Airport Type: | Military: Naval Air Station |
Elevation: | 6 feet (2 meters) |
# of Runways: | 3 |
View all routes: | Routes from NQX |
More Information: | NQX Maps & Info |
Facts about La Palma Airport (SPC):
- The furthest airport from La Palma Airport (SPC) is Lord Howe Island Airport (LDH), which is nearly antipodal to La Palma Airport (meaning La Palma Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Lord Howe Island Airport), and is located 12,161 miles (19,570 kilometers) away in Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia.
- The closest airport to La Palma Airport (SPC) is La Gomera Airport (GMZ), which is located 53 miles (85 kilometers) SE of SPC.
- Because of La Palma Airport's relatively low elevation of 108 feet, planes can take off or land at La Palma 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.
- La Palma Airport (SPC) currently has only 1 runway.
Facts about NAS Key West (NQX):
- The nation's southernmost Naval Base proved to be an ideal year-round training facility with rapid access to the open sea lanes and ideal flying conditions for Naval Aviation.
- The closest airport to NAS Key West (NQX) is Key West International Airport (EYW), which is located only 5 miles (7 kilometers) WSW of NQX.
- NAS Key West was to become a focal point during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, which posed the first doorstep threat to America in more than a century.
- Because of NAS Key West's relatively low elevation of 6 feet, planes can take off or land at NAS Key West 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 NAS Key West (NQX) is Cocos (Keeling) Island Airport (CCK), which is located 11,575 miles (18,629 kilometers) away in Cocos Islands, Australia.
- By 1943, German submarines were operating so near Key West that they were sinking allied ships within sight of land.
- NAS Key West (NQX) has 3 runways.
- During the 1980s and 1990s, Fighter Squadron 45 was also based at NAS Key West to provide air combat adversary services with A-4 Skyhawk II, F-5E/F Freedom Fighter and F-16N Fighting Falcon aircraft.
- In addition to being known as "NAS Key West", other names for NQX include "Naval Air Station Key West" and "NQX[1]".