Nonstop flight route between Stord, Hordaland, Norway and Santa Maria, California, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Stord Airport, Sørstokken (SRP), Stord, Hordaland, Norway and Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX), Santa Maria, California, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 5,206 miles (or 8,377 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 Stord Airport, Sørstokken and Santa Maria Public 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 Stord Airport, Sørstokken and Santa Maria Public 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 Stord Airport, Sørstokken (SRP):

• Furdal wanted the airport to have a longer runway so he could operate larger aircraft.
• The municipal chief-of-administration concluded that there would be need for an airport in Stord, but stated that the municipality lacked funds.
• Because of Stord Airport, Sørstokken's relatively low elevation of 161 feet, planes can take off or land at Stord Airport, Sørstokken 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.
• One-third of the necessary capital would be granted from private investors, one third from public grants and one third as loans.
• In addition to being known as "Stord Airport, Sørstokken", other names for SRP include "Stord lufthavn, Sørstokken" and "ENSO".
• The furthest airport from Stord Airport, Sørstokken (SRP) is Chatham Islands (CHT), which is located 11,330 miles (18,234 kilometers) away in Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand.
• Stord Airport, Sørstokken (SRP) currently has only 1 runway.
• In July 1987, a distance measurement in the distance measuring equipment failed, terminating all scheduled and night flights until it was replaced in September.
• A new airport committee was established in March 1983, which had representatives from the large industrial companies and the municipalities of Stord, Bømlo and Fitjar.
• After the opening of the airport, Widerøe also applied to operate the route.
• In 1982, a proposal was launched to extend the runway to 1,600 meters.
• Stord Airport, Sørstokken handled 30,711 passengers last year.
• The closest airport to Stord Airport, Sørstokken (SRP) is Haugesund Airport, Karmøy (HAU), which is located 31 miles (50 kilometers) S of SRP.

Facts about Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX):

• Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE), which is located 11,466 miles (18,453 kilometers) away in Saint-Pierre, Réunion.
• Because of Santa Maria Public Airport's relatively low elevation of 261 feet, planes can take off or land at Santa Maria Public 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.
• At one point during the early 1980's Swift Aire Lines, which was based at the nearby San Luis Obispo Airport, was the only airline flying nonstop between Santa Maria and Los Angeles, primarily with Fokker F27 Friendship turboprops which the carrier had purchased new from the manufacturer.
• The closest airport to Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) is Vandenberg Air Force Base (VBG), which is located only 13 miles (21 kilometers) SSW of SMX.
• In addition to being known as "Santa Maria Public Airport", another name for SMX is "Capt. G. Allan Hancock FieldSanta Maria Army Airfield".
• Other enhancements include a new passenger terminal holding room that opened February 2008.
• The extended primary runway at Santa Maria is paved to 8,004 feet, giving the airport the longest civil runway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on the central coast and Vandenberg AFB's runway are longer).