Nonstop flight route between Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Hassi Messaoud, Algeria:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Oued Irara–Krim Belkacem Airport (HME), Hassi Messaoud, Algeria would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,761 miles (or 9,271 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 Oued Irara–Krim Belkacem 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 Oued Irara–Krim Belkacem 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 Field reached its peak strength of 46,340 people while serving as a separation center for troops being discharged following World War II from September through November 1945.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
• Control and accountability for Sheppard Field was transferred to the Department of the Air Force 1 August 1948 and was reactivated 15 August 1948 to supplement Lackland AFB, Texas, as a basic training center renamed as Sheppard AFB.
• The host unit on Sheppard Air Force Base is the 82nd Training Wing whose mission makes it the most diversified training base within the Air Education and Training Command.
• 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 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 3950th Technical Training Wing was designated the Sheppard Technical Training Center 1 January 1959.
• The 3630th Flying Training Wing also provided undergraduate pilot training for pilots of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force from 1971 to 1975.

Facts about Oued Irara–Krim Belkacem Airport (HME):

• The closest airport to Oued Irara–Krim Belkacem Airport (HME) is Guemar Airport (ELU), which is located 133 miles (213 kilometers) NNE of HME.
• Oued Irara–Krim Belkacem Airport (HME) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Oued Irara–Krim Belkacem Airport (HME) is Gisborne Airport (GIS), which is located 11,770 miles (18,941 kilometers) away in Gisborne, New Zealand.
• Because of Oued Irara–Krim Belkacem Airport's relatively low elevation of 459 feet, planes can take off or land at Oued Irara–Krim Belkacem 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 "Oued Irara–Krim Belkacem Airport", other names for HME include "Base d'Hassi Messaoud (Hassi Messaoud)" and "Aéroport de Hassi Messaoud / Oued Irara–Krim Belkacem".