Nonstop flight route between Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Blythe, California, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from SPS to BLH:
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- About this route
- SPS Airport Information
- BLH Airport Information
- Facts about SPS
- Facts about BLH
- Map of Nearest Airports to SPS
- List of Nearest Airports to SPS
- Map of Furthest Airports from SPS
- List of Furthest Airports from SPS
- Map of Nearest Airports to BLH
- List of Nearest Airports to BLH
- Map of Furthest Airports from BLH
- List of Furthest Airports from BLH
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Blythe Airport (BLH), Blythe, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 931 miles (or 1,498 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 relatively short distance between Sheppard Air Force Base and Blythe Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SPS / KSPS |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Wichita Falls, Texas, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 33°59'20"N by 98°29'30"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from SPS |
| More Information: | SPS Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | BLH / KBLH |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Blythe, California, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 33°36'52"N by 114°42'47"W |
| Area Served: | Blythe, California |
| Operator/Owner: | County of Riverside |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 399 feet (122 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from BLH |
| More Information: | BLH Maps & Info |
Facts about Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS):
- The aircraft mechanics school was transferred to Sheppard from Keesler AFB, Mississippi in April 1949 to make room for expansion of electronic training at that base.
- In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
- The furthest airport from Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 10,952 miles (17,626 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- Sheppard AFB shares one runway with Wichita Falls Municipal Airport under a joint civil-military arrangement.
- The host unit at Sheppard is the 82d Training Wing, which provides specialized technical training, medical, and field training for officers, Airmen, and civilians of all branches of the military, other DoD agencies, and foreign nationals.
- The 80th Flying Training Wing began conducting the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program in 1981.
- Sheppard Air Force Base is named in honor of Senator John Morris Sheppard of Texas, chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee from 1933 until his death on 9 April 1941.
- The closest airport to Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Kickapoo Downtown Airport (KIP), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) S of SPS.
Facts about Blythe Airport (BLH):
- In addition to the main facility at Blythe, several auxiliary airfields were built.
- In addition to being known as "Blythe Airport", another name for BLH is "(former Blythe Army Air Field)".
- The closest airport to Blythe Airport (BLH) is Laguna Army Airfield (LGF), which is located 55 miles (89 kilometers) SSE of BLH.
- The furthest airport from Blythe Airport (BLH) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,472 miles (18,462 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
- Today a modern airport has been built on the site of the former wartime airfield.
- Because of Blythe Airport's relatively low elevation of 399 feet, planes can take off or land at Blythe 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 World War II the airfield was known as Blythe Army Air Field and was used by the United States Army Air Forces.
- Blythe Army Air Field later became a sub-base of Muroc Army Air Field on 30 June 1945, and was inactivated on 18 October 1945, although during October–December 1946, the 477th Composite Group used the airfield for desert maneuvers, flying B-25 Mitchells.
- Blythe Airport (BLH) has 2 runways.
