Nonstop flight route between Stewart Island, New Zealand and Valdosta, Georgia, United States:

About this route:

A direct, nonstop flight between Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS), Stewart Island, New Zealand and Moody Air Force Base (VAD), Valdosta, Georgia, United States would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,589 miles (or 13,822 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 Ryan's Creek Aerodrome and Moody Air Force Base, 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 Ryan's Creek Aerodrome and Moody Air Force Base. 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 Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS):

• Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) currently has only 1 runway.
• The aerodrome was built in the late 1970s to accommodate Stewart Island Air Services.
• The closest airport to Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) is Invercargill Airport (IVC), which is located 35 miles (57 kilometers) NNE of SZS.
• Because of Ryan's Creek Aerodrome's relatively low elevation of 288 feet, planes can take off or land at Ryan's Creek Aerodrome 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.
• In 1990 a hill at one end of the strip was leveled.
• The furthest airport from Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (SZS) is A Coruña Airport (LCG), which is nearly antipodal to Ryan's Creek Aerodrome (meaning Ryan's Creek Aerodrome is almost on the exact opposite side of the Earth from A Coruña Airport), and is located 12,135 miles (19,529 kilometers) away in A Coruña, Spain.
• The airport is at an elevation of 288 feet above mean sea level.
• Ryan's Creek Aerodrome is a small airstrip on Stewart Island in southern New Zealand.

Facts about Moody Air Force Base (VAD):

• In addition to being known as "Moody Air Force Base", another name for VAD is "Moody AFB".
• The 93d Air Ground Operations Wing is a non-flying active support wing activated on 25 January 2008.
• On 30 June 1975, the Secretary of the Air Force announced that Moody would transfer from ATC to Tactical Air Command on 1 December 1975.
• On 1 April 1997 the 347th Wing added a combat search and rescue component with the addition of the 41st Rescue Squadron with HH-60G helicopters and the 71st Rescue Squadron with specialized HC-130P aircraft, both units transferring from Patrick AFB, Florida.
• In 1961, Foreign Pilot Training was transferred to Moody from the closing of the Graham Air Base contract pilot school in Marianna, Florida.
• The closest airport to Moody Air Force Base (VAD) is Valdosta Regional AirportValdosta Army Auxiliary Airfield (VLD), which is located only 14 miles (22 kilometers) SSW of VAD.
• The furthest airport from Moody Air Force Base (VAD) is Kalbarri Airport (KAX), which is located 11,363 miles (18,286 kilometers) away in Kalbarri, Western Australia, Australia.
• In September 1944, Moody began replacing the AT-10 with the TB-25 Mitchell.
• On 1 December 1973, the 38th Flying Training Wing replaced and absorbed the resources of the 3550th Pilot Training Wing at Moody.
• Moody AFB is the home of the 23d Wing of the Air Combat Command.