Nonstop flight route between Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Lonely, North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site (LNI), Lonely, North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 3,232 miles (or 5,202 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 Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site, 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 Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site. 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):

• The 3950th Technical Training Wing was designated the Sheppard Technical Training Center 1 January 1959.
• As of September 2013, Brigadier General Scott Kindsvater is the commander of the 82d Training Wing, and he concurrently serves as the installation commander of Sheppard AFB.
• It was officially opened as an Army Air Corps training center on 17 October 1941, following the arrival of the first military members on 14 June.
• In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
• 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 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 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.
• In February 1992, restructuring and downsizing of the Air Force caused a realignment and renumbering of units at Sheppard.

Facts about Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site (LNI):

• The closest airport to Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site (LNI) is Alpine Airstrip (DQH), which is located 66 miles (106 kilometers) SE of LNI.
• The site is controlled by the Pacific Air Forces 611th Air Support Group, based at Elmendorf.
• The furthest airport from Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site (LNI) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is located 10,219 miles (16,447 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.
• The airstrip was built in 1957 to support the Distant Early Warning Line radar station at Point Lonely.
• In addition to being known as "Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site", other names for LNI include " " and "AK71".
• Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site (LNI) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site's relatively low elevation of 17 feet, planes can take off or land at Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site 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.