Nonstop flight route between Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Rourkela, India:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Rourkela Airport (RRK), Rourkela, India would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,545 miles (or 13,751 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 Rourkela 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 Rourkela 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):

• In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
• In July 1969, Detachment 1, 2nd Bombardment Wing, with four B-52 aircraft, became a tenant organization at Sheppard and remained until 1975.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• Sheppard Air Force Base is named in honor of Senator John Morris Sheppard of Texas, chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee from 1933 until his death on 9 April 1941.
• 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 3950th Technical Training Wing was designated the Sheppard Technical Training Center 1 January 1959.
• Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located five miles north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States.
• 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.

Facts about Rourkela Airport (RRK):

• The airstrip was constructed by the Tata Iron and Steel Company in 1950s for the purpose of carrying officials of the company, who regularly visited the area to survey and supervise the transportation of dolomite and other minerals from the district of Sundargarh for their industry.
• The furthest airport from Rourkela Airport (RRK) is Mataveri International Airport (IPC), which is located 11,482 miles (18,478 kilometers) away in Easter Island, Chile.
• In 1961, this airport was taken by the Airports Authority of India.
• In addition to being known as "Rourkela Airport", other names for RRK include "राउरकेला हवाई अड्डे" and "Rā'urakēlā havā'ī aḍḍē".
• The closest airport to Rourkela Airport (RRK) is Birsa Munda Airport (IXR), which is located 80 miles (129 kilometers) NNE of RRK.
• A three member survey team of AAI that made a spot assessment of the Rourkela airstrip in October 2007 to find out the feasibility of re-introduction of air connectivity to the city expressed satisfaction over the existing infrastructure.
• Rourkela Airport (RRK) currently has only 1 runway.
• Because of Rourkela Airport's relatively low elevation of 656 feet, planes can take off or land at Rourkela 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.