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 closest airport to Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS) is Kickapoo Downtown Airport (KIP), which is located only 9 miles (14 kilometers) S of SPS.
• The Air Force School of Health Care Sciences offered training in dentistry, medicine, nursing, and health-services administration.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
• Sheppard AFB shares one runway with Wichita Falls Municipal Airport under a joint civil-military arrangement.
• 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.

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

• Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site (LNI) currently has only 1 runway.
• The airstrip was built in 1957 to support the Distant Early Warning Line radar station at Point Lonely.
• 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.
• 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 closest airport to Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site (LNI) is Alpine Airstrip (DQH), which is located 66 miles (106 kilometers) SE of LNI.
• In addition to being known as "Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site", other names for LNI include " " and "AK71".