Nonstop flight route between St. Joseph, Missouri, United States and Christmas Island, Australia:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ), St. Joseph, Missouri, United States and Christmas Island Airport (XCH), Christmas Island, Australia would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,049 miles (or 16,172 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 Rosecrans Memorial Airport and Christmas Island 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 Rosecrans Memorial Airport and Christmas Island 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 Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ):

• In addition to being known as "Rosecrans Memorial Airport", another name for STJ is "Rosecrans Army Airfield".
• Because of Rosecrans Memorial Airport's relatively low elevation of 826 feet, planes can take off or land at Rosecrans Memorial 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.
• Both the 139 AW and the AATTC are made up of a mix of approximately 400 full-time Active Guard and Reserve and Air Reserve Technician personnel, augmented by over 1000 traditional part-time Air National Guardsmen and Air Force Resevists.
• The closest airport to Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ) is Sherman Army AirfieldSherman Air Force Base (FLV), which is located 28 miles (45 kilometers) S of STJ.
• Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ) has 2 runways.
• The furthest airport from Rosecrans Memorial Airport (STJ) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 10,738 miles (17,281 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
• The Great Flood of 1951 damaged many of the temporary World War II airport buildings beyond economical repair.
• Rosecrans ANGB is currently home to the 139th Airlift Wing, an Air Mobility Command -gained unit of the Missouri Air National Guard, which functions as the host wing for the installation.

Facts about Christmas Island Airport (XCH):

• The closest airport to Christmas Island Airport (XCH) is Cibeureum Airfield (TSY), which is located 276 miles (445 kilometers) NE of XCH.
• Because of Christmas Island Airport's relatively low elevation of 916 feet, planes can take off or land at Christmas Island 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 Christmas Island Airport (XCH) is Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ), which is nearly antipodal to Christmas Island Airport (meaning Christmas Island Airport is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport), and is located 12,393 miles (19,944 kilometers) away in Barranquilla, Colombia.
• Christmas Island Airport (XCH) currently has only 1 runway.
• Traffic to and from the airport varies greatly.
• The airport's location at the top of a hill, with a 2% mid-runway gradient, makes it a challenging landing for pilots.
• Christmas Island Airport handled 27,286 passengers last year.
• A brief revival of the "old days" happened in 2001 during the "Tampa" crisis when the heightened Royal Australian Air Force traffic was complemented by a large number of Department of Immigration and Citizenship and media charters.