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

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Oran Tafaraoui Airport (TAF), Oran, Algeria would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,293 miles (or 8,519 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 Oran Tafaraoui 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 Oran Tafaraoui 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 AFB shares one runway with Wichita Falls Municipal Airport under a joint civil-military arrangement.
• The 3630th Flying Training Wing was activated in 1965, and it assumed the helicopter training program.
• 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.
• 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.
• In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
• 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.
• 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 80th FTW mission is to provide combat airpower by producing top quality fighter pilots for the NATO alliance.

Facts about Oran Tafaraoui Airport (TAF):

• Oran Tafaraoui Airport (TAF) currently has only 1 runway.
• The furthest airport from Oran Tafaraoui Airport (TAF) is Whakatane Airport (WHK), which is nearly antipodal to Oran Tafaraoui Airport (meaning Oran Tafaraoui Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Whakatane Airport), and is located 12,220 miles (19,666 kilometers) away in Whakatane, New Zealand.
• Because of Oran Tafaraoui Airport's relatively low elevation of 367 feet, planes can take off or land at Oran Tafaraoui 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 closest airport to Oran Tafaraoui Airport (TAF) is Es-Sénia – Ben Bella Airport (ORN), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) NW of TAF.
• The new desert Spitfires of the 31st Fighter Group were also assigned to Tafaraoui.