Nonstop flight route between Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Shafter, California, United States:
Departure Airport:
Arrival Airport:
Distance from SPS to MIT:
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- About this route
- SPS Airport Information
- MIT Airport Information
- Facts about SPS
- Facts about MIT
- Map of Nearest Airports to SPS
- List of Nearest Airports to SPS
- Map of Furthest Airports from SPS
- List of Furthest Airports from SPS
- Map of Nearest Airports to MIT
- List of Nearest Airports to MIT
- Map of Furthest Airports from MIT
- List of Furthest Airports from MIT
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Shafter Airport (MIT), Shafter, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 1,178 miles (or 1,895 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 relatively short distance between Sheppard Air Force Base and Shafter Airport, the route shown on this map most likely still appears to be a straight line.
Departure Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | SPS / KSPS |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Wichita Falls, Texas, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 33°59'20"N by 98°29'30"W |
| View all routes: | Routes from SPS |
| More Information: | SPS Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
| IATA / ICAO Codes: | MIT / KMIT |
| Airport Names: |
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| Location: | Shafter, California, United States |
| GPS Coordinates: | 35°30'20"N by 119°11'30"W |
| Area Served: | Shafter, California |
| Operator/Owner: | Minter Field Airport District |
| Airport Type: | Public |
| Elevation: | 424 feet (129 meters) |
| # of Runways: | 2 |
| View all routes: | Routes from MIT |
| More Information: | MIT Maps & Info |
Facts about Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS):
- 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 80th FTW mission is to provide combat airpower by producing top quality fighter pilots for the NATO alliance.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- Between 1960 and 1966 the Strategic Air Command had training units stationed at the base that conducted aerospace rescue schools and weather instruction.
- The 3950th Technical Training Wing was designated the Sheppard Technical Training Center 1 January 1959.
- 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.
- In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
Facts about Shafter Airport (MIT):
- The name was derived from close proximity to the highway of the same name.
- The closest airport to Shafter Airport (MIT) is Meadows Field (BFL), which is located only 9 miles (15 kilometers) ESE of MIT.
- Because of Shafter Airport's relatively low elevation of 424 feet, planes can take off or land at Shafter 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.
- The primary aircraft flown at Minter Field was the Vultee BT-13 Valiant, which was used for basic flight training.
- Lerdo Field, as the airport was initially known during World War II was first opened in June 1941 when the United States Army Air Corps dispatched a small garrison of airmen to open an airfield at Shafter.
- In addition to being known as "Shafter Airport", another name for MIT is "Minter Field".
- The Gossamer Condor piloted by Bryan Allen won the first Kremer prize on August 23, 1977 by completing a figure '8' course specified by the Royal Aeronautical Society at Minter Field.
- Shafter Airport, also known as Minter Field, is a public use airport located four nautical miles east of the central business district of Shafter, a city in Kern County, California, United States.
- The furthest airport from Shafter Airport (MIT) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,404 miles (18,353 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
- Shafter Airport (MIT) has 2 runways.
