Nonstop flight route between Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Yakutsk, Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Russia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Sheppard Air Force Base (SPS), Wichita Falls, Texas, United States and Yakutsk Airport (YKS), Yakutsk, Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Russia would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,277 miles (or 8,492 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 Yakutsk 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 Yakutsk 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):

• The 3630th Flying Training Wing was activated in 1965, and it assumed the helicopter training program.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Additionally, officers from all 13 participating nations fill subordinate leadership positions throughout the wing.
• In addition to being known as "Sheppard Air Force Base", another name for SPS is "Sheppard AFB".
• 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.
• Comptroller, transportation, and intelligence training moved to Sheppard from Lowry AFB, Colorado, in the fall of 1954.
• 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.

Facts about Yakutsk Airport (YKS):

• The closest airport to Yakutsk Airport (YKS) is Magan Airport (GYG), which is located only 7 miles (12 kilometers) W of YKS.
• Yakutsk has another, smaller airport at Magan.
• Yakutsk Airport (YKS) has 2 runways.
• Construction of the airport started in 1931 and was used as a stopover on the ALSIB Alaska-Siberia air route for American planes flying to Europe during World War II.
• Because of Yakutsk Airport's relatively low elevation of 325 feet, planes can take off or land at Yakutsk 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 furthest airport from Yakutsk Airport (YKS) is Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport (TNM), which is nearly antipodal to Yakutsk Airport (meaning Yakutsk Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport), and is located 12,154 miles (19,560 kilometers) away in Villa Las Estrellas, Antarctica.
• In addition to being known as "Yakutsk Airport", another name for YKS is "Аэропорт Якутск / Дьокуускай Аэропорт".