Nonstop flight route between Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Chañaral Airport (CNR), Chañaral, Atacama Region, Chile would travel a Great Circle distance of 4,551 miles (or 7,324 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 Chañaral 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 Chañaral 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):

• Sheppard AFB began providing top-notch instruction in a diverse array of Air Force specialties during World War II.
• 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.
• 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.
• Over the next three decades three training schools were stationed at the base training students in aircraft maintenance, transportation, communication, civil engineering, Aircrew Life Support and field training.
• The 3630th Flying Training Wing also provided undergraduate pilot training for pilots of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force from 1971 to 1975.
• 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.
• 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.

Facts about Chañaral Airport (CNR):

• Chañaral Airport (CNR) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Chañaral Airport (CNR) is Liping Airport (HZH), which is nearly antipodal to Chañaral Airport (meaning Chañaral Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Liping Airport), and is located 12,422 miles (19,991 kilometers) away in Liping County, Guizhou, China.
• Because of Chañaral Airport's relatively low elevation of 98 feet, planes can take off or land at Chañaral 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.
• In addition to being known as "Chañaral Airport", other names for CNR include "Chañaral Airport (Chañaral)" and "Aeropuerto de Chañaral".
• The closest airport to Chañaral Airport (CNR) is Ricardo García Posada Airport El Salvador Bajo Airport (ESR), which is located 52 miles (84 kilometers) E of CNR.