Nonstop flight route between Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Rome, Italy:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport (CIA), Rome, Italy would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,622 miles (or 9,047 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 Sheppard Air Force Base and Ciampino–G. B. Pastine 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 Sheppard Air Force Base and Ciampino–G. B. Pastine 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 Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS):

• Additionally, officers from all 13 participating nations fill subordinate leadership positions throughout the wing.
• The 80th FTW mission is to provide combat airpower by producing top quality fighter pilots for the NATO alliance.
• During World War II, then-Sheppard Field conducted basic training, and it also trained glider mechanics, technical and flying training instructors and B-29 Superfortress flight engineers.
• 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.
• The 3630th Flying Training Wing also provided undergraduate pilot training for pilots of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force from 1971 to 1975.
• 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 80th Flying Training Wing, also at Sheppard, conducts the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program, a multi-nationally manned and managed flying training program chartered to produce combat pilots for both USAF and NATO.
• In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
• Helicopter pilot training was transferred from Stead AFB, Nevada in October 1965, with H-19, H-43, Bell TH-1F, CH-3C and HH-3E helicopters used for training.
• 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 Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport (CIA):

• The closest airport to Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport (CIA) is Fiumicino – Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO), which is located only 18 miles (30 kilometers) W of CIA.
• Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport handled 4,749,251 passengers last year.
• The furthest airport from Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport (CIA) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,958 miles (19,244 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Because of Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport's relatively low elevation of 427 feet, planes can take off or land at Ciampino–G. B. Pastine 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.
• Ciampino Airport was opened in 1916 and is one of the oldest airports still in operation.
• Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport (CIA) currently has only 1 runway.
• In addition to being known as "Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport", other names for CIA include "Rome Ciampino Airport" and "Ciampino–Aeroporto Internazionale G. B. Pastine".
• The terminals were extended at the beginning of 2007.